Anansi is too clever for his own good in this African folk tale which explains why spiders have long legs. Too lazy to cook for himself, Anansi times his visits to friends in anticipation of being invited to share their meal. He also persuades the various animals he calls on to tie a thread to one of his (short fat) legs and to give a pull when the food is ready. However, he is the victim of his own greed, as the dinners are all ready at the same moment, the threads are pulled together and Anansi is caught fast, his legs now stretched into a forever elongated shape. The simple, enlarged text and comic illustration give the story broad appeal.