About this folktale
Ananse's Deadly Funeral Trick: Only Monkey Survives - A Dark African Tale is published on Mythopia by Konlan Mikpekoah. The narrative connects to themes and tags including African Tales, Ghanaian Tales, Ananse, African Stories. Even shorter folktales carry moral and cultural weight: readers often compare how the lesson applies today, and how the same motif appears across regions. If you know another version from your family or community, Mythopia welcomes a respectful retelling so audiences can compare tone, detail, and local wisdom alongside this text.
Ananse and his wife sat under a tree.
Monkey was in the tree, listening.
"We need meat!" Ananse said.
"I'll take a barrel,
wrap it in a sheet,
and invite everyone to your funeral."
Sheep, Goat, Hog,
and Monkey all came.
Cow was the minister.
"Come inside,"
Ananse said to the animals.
They went inside, but Monkey refused.
He knew better!
"My grief is too great,"
Monkey said, sobbing.
Then Ananse locked the door from the inside.
Cow sang a hymn.
"I don't like that hymn!"
Ananse shouted,
and he killed the animals with his machete.
Monkey sat outside, laughing.
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