Nothing

Role: rich man · First appears: Tale 3 · Anansi and Nothing

In Tale 3 · Anansi and Nothing, Nothing and Anansi set out for a neighbouring town to find wives. On the way, Anansi persuaded Nothing to exchange clothes and kept delaying the return of Nothing’s fine velvet garment until they arrived. A woman took pity on Nothing and gave him her daughter as a wife; she became queen over the district and had everything she desired.

Anansi was angry with Nothing and tried repeatedly to kill him. He arranged a knife- and broken-bottle-lined pit in front of Nothing’s door, and Nothing fell into it, was gravely wounded, and soon died.

Relationship record

Life events

• Anansi and Nothing proposed going to the neighbouring town to get wives.(Tale 3 · Anansi and Nothing · 📍 neighbouring town)
  • With: Anansi
  • “Nothing and Anansi proposed, one day, to go to the neighbouring town to get some wives.”
• Anansi persuaded Nothing to exchange clothes and delayed returning Nothing’s fine garment.(Tale 3 · Anansi and Nothing)
  • With: Anansi
  • “Anansi persuaded Nothing to change clothes for a little while, promising to give back the fine velvet before they reached the town. He delayed doing this, however, first on one pretext, then on another—till they arrived at their destination.”
• A woman took pity on Nothing and gave him her daughter as a wife.(Tale 3 · Anansi and Nothing · 📍 neighbouring town)
  • With: a woman (Tale 3)
  • “At last, however, a woman took pity on him and gave him her daughter.”
• Nothing married the woman’s daughter, who became his wife.(Tale 3 · Anansi and Nothing)
  • With: Nothing’s wife
  • “Nothing’s wife was queen over the whole district and had everything her heart could desire.”
• Anansi arranged a knife-lined pit and slippery steps in an attempt to kill Nothing.(Tale 3 · Anansi and Nothing · 📍 in front of Nothing’s door)
  • With: Anansi
  • “Finally, however, he persuaded some rat friends to dig a deep tunnel in front of Nothing’s door. When the hole was finished Anansi lined it with knives and broken bottles.”
• Nothing fell into Anansi’s trap, was gravely wounded, and soon died.(Tale 3 · Anansi and Nothing · 📍 the ditch)
  • With: Anansi Nothing’s wife
  • “As he placed his foot on the first step, of course he slipped, and down he fell into the hole. The noise alarmed the household. Lights were fetched and Nothing was found in the ditch, so much wounded by the knives that he soon died.”

Tale 3 · Anansi and Nothing

• enemies with Anansi “He was very angry, and tried in many ways to kill Nothing, but without success.”
• married with Nothing’s wife “Nothing’s wife was queen over the whole district and had everything her heart could desire.”

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.