So Anansi climbed slowly back down his sticky thread to the earth. He thought and he thought, and he came up with a plan.

He dug a deep hole, covered it with branches and dirt so it was hidden, and he went home for supper. In the morning, sure enough, a leopard had fallen into his pit. He was furiously scratching at the side of the pit, but he couldn’t get out.

“Oh let me help you, my dear friend!” said Anansi. “Just lie down on these sticks and I’ll pull you out.”

Anansi wound his sticky web round the leopard and the sticks, and pulled him up to heaven to show the Sky God. But Nyame just laughed and said, “Where are the other two?”

So Anansi went back down to earth to get the second creature. He thought and he thought and he came up with a plan.

He took a gourd full of water and went to the tree where the hornets lived. He poured out some of the water all over their nest. Then he cut a leaf from a banana tree and held it over his head, and he poured the rest of the water all over himself.