Lizard

First appears: Tale 5 · Why the Lizard Continually Moves His Head Up and Down

In Tale 5 · Why the Lizard Continually Moves His Head Up and Down, Anansi visited his friend Lizard and told him the princesses’ names, asking him to announce them at the King’s court. Early the next morning, Lizard sounded the names before the King and his Court, and the King gave his daughters to him.

Anansi went home angry, declaring that he would be revenged on Lizard for taking the wives Anansi believed were his. That night, Anansi killed the King’s cock, planted its remains in Lizard’s house, and poured boiling water into Lizard’s mouth, making him dumb. When the King’s men found the remains the next morning, they brought Lizard before the King; the King judged him guilty of theft, took his wives from him, and gave them to Anansi.

Relationship record

Life events

• Lizard sounded the princesses’ names, which Anansi had told him, before the King and his Court.(Tale 5 · Why the Lizard Continually Moves His Head Up and Down · 📍 the King’s palace)
  • With: Anansi
  • “He told Lizard the three names, and the latter was to sound them through his trumpet when the time came.”
• The King gave his daughters to Lizard after Lizard announced their names.(Tale 5 · Why the Lizard Continually Moves His Head Up and Down · 📍 the King’s palace)
  • With: the King
  • “He accordingly gave them to Mr Lizard.”
• Anansi vowed revenge on Lizard for taking the wives he believed were his.(Tale 5 · Why the Lizard Continually Moves His Head Up and Down)
  • With: Anansi
  • “He went home in a very bad temper, declaring that he would be revenged on Lizard for stealing his wives away.”
• Anansi killed the King’s cock, planted its remains in Lizard’s house, and made Lizard dumb with boiling water.(Tale 5 · Why the Lizard Continually Moves His Head Up and Down · 📍 Lizard’s house)
  • With: Anansi
  • “There he quietly cooked the cock, placed the feathers under Lizard’s bed, and put some of the flesh on a dish close to Lizard’s hand. The wicked Anansi then took some boiling water and poured it into poor Lizard’s mouth, thus making him dumb.”
• The King’s men found the cock’s remains in Lizard’s house, and the King had Lizard brought before him.(Tale 5 · Why the Lizard Continually Moves His Head Up and Down)
  • With: the King
  • “They thought he was refusing to speak, so dragged him before the King.”
• The King judged Lizard guilty of theft and took his wives from him, giving them to Anansi.(Tale 5 · Why the Lizard Continually Moves His Head Up and Down)
  • With: the King Anansi
  • “He was accordingly judged guilty of theft, and as a punishment his wives were taken away from him and given to Anansi.”

Tale 5 · Why the Lizard Continually Moves His Head Up and Down

• friends with Anansi “He then visited his friend the Lizard, to get him to act as herald at the Court next day.”
• enemies with Anansi “He went home in a very bad temper, declaring that he would be revenged on Lizard for stealing his wives away.”

Also listed in Other Figures — Minor Figures

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Extracted from the original text of West African Folk-Tales. Made with Rho MD.