Unit 12
"The Spider King"
This song includes fifth grade vocabulary words that students are likely to encounter on state tests. It teaches the following words: gorge, illuminate, intercept, jubilation, occasion, preserve, sever, soar, talon and tropical. In this song, learn about West African folklore and the spider king, Anansi.
Intro
I’ve got the sun and the stars and the moon,
And they can never stop what I’m gonna do.
Yes, I’ve got the sun and the stars and the moon,
I’ve got the planets, the comets, they can’t stop it.
The Spider King Anansi had six kids,
And each was named after something that they did.
Son number one was called See-Trouble,
’Cause he knew when trouble was coming before the others.
His sister Road-Builder? She built roads,
To move through the town, make it easy to go.
Her sis River-Dryer dried rivers for real,
And Game-Skinner skinned the animals they killed.
Stone-Thrower could throw a rock across the town,
And Cushion; ha, dude was as big as a cow!
Now one day Anansi went on a trip,
Said, "You kids behave, I’ll be back in a bit."
But a bit passed; Anansi didn’t return,
The kids were starting to get real concerned.
And then See-Trouble saw trouble, said, "Oh, no!
A big fish has swallowed our dad whole!
Over in the gorge, I think,
You know, the river that runs through the steep cliffs."
Now where they lived was tropical, near the tropics,
Near the middle of the globe where it’s hot, kids.
And there was no road to the river,
But that was soon changed by Road-Builder.
But at the river, they said, "We’ll never get our dad home.
Where’s the big fish? Oh, no, we don’t know."
I’ve got the sun and the stars and the moon,
And they can never stop what I’m gonna do.
Yes, I’ve got the sun and the stars and the moon,
I’ve got the planets, the comets, they can’t stop it.
So on this occasion, at this specific time, man,
River-Dryer’s powers would help them find him.
She sucked the river dry,
And there was the big ugly fish with the king trapped inside.
Game-Skinner cut the fish wide,
And out popped Anansi, "ta-da!" with a big smile.
Anansi said, "Thanks, kids, I’d like to say…AHHH!!!"
A giant hawk grabbed him and flew away!
Yeah, the hawk started to soar,
Fly high above them all, with the king in his claws,
I mean his talons. The kids were totally shocked,
Now the only way to save the king was with a rock.
So Stone-Thrower threw a rock like it wasn’t a thing,
The stone hit the hawk and he dropped the king.
But, oh! He could sever an arm when he falls,
Land hard, he could get an arm chopped off.
Cushion said, "I could intercept him, Jack,
Stop him on his way, before he goes ker-splat!"
So he ran to the spot where the king would be,
The king bounced off Cushion like a trampoline.
Landed right on his feet; can you believe?
Everybody was cheering, they were so happy!
Anansi felt jubilation, joy and happiness.
He said, "Wow, you kids are the best!
I found a glowing ball on my trip; it was crazy,
I’ll give it to the kid that just saved me."
But then he heard the story about the kids working together,
And so Anansi thought of something even better.
He gave his friend the sky god a call,
Said, "Listen, sky god, I just found a big bright ball.
I don’t know which kid deserves it,
So why don’t you keep it as it is and preserve it?"
The sky god brought it up to the sky,
Where the bright ball hangs nearly all the time.
Yeah, it illuminates the night, makes it light,
What’s that ball called? The moon, all right.
I’ve got the sun and the stars and the moon,
And they can never stop what I’m gonna do.
Yes, I’ve got the sun and the stars and the moon,
I’ve got the planets, the comets, they can’t stop it.
Anansi ("The Spider") is one of the most important figures in West African folklore. There are many Anansi tales, all of which were passed from person to person through story-telling. For hundreds and hundreds of years, they weren't written down. Anansi is a special character. In his stories, he sometimes takes the form of a spider and other times takes the form of a human. This is an Anansi story about the moon.
You'll learn these words: gorge, illuminate, intercept, jubilation, occasion, preserve, sever, soar, talon, tropical.
You'll learn these words: gorge, illuminate, intercept, jubilation, occasion, preserve, sever, soar, talon, tropical.
gorge (noun)
A narrow passage between steep cliffs, usually with a stream running through. Riding in a canoe, Emma passed through a towering gorge.
(verb) To stuff oneself with food; to eat too much. Giovanni gorged himself at the all-you-can-eat buffet.
A narrow passage between steep cliffs, usually with a stream running through. Riding in a canoe, Emma passed through a towering gorge.
(verb) To stuff oneself with food; to eat too much. Giovanni gorged himself at the all-you-can-eat buffet.
tropical (adj)
Of or similar to the tropics, the area near the Equator. There's nothing like a tropical vacation to make you hate the winter.
Of or similar to the tropics, the area near the Equator. There's nothing like a tropical vacation to make you hate the winter.
occasion (noun)
A particular time or happening. Meredith turning six was a big occasion to celebrate.
Note: When occasion is preceded by the word on, the meaning is "from time to time." She likes to take bike rides on occasion.
A particular time or happening. Meredith turning six was a big occasion to celebrate.
Note: When occasion is preceded by the word on, the meaning is "from time to time." She likes to take bike rides on occasion.
soar (verb)
To fly high in the sky. The bird soared high in the sky looking for prey.
To fly high in the sky. The bird soared high in the sky looking for prey.
talon (noun)
A claw (especially of a bird of prey). On the $1 bill, you can see an image of an eagle gripping bundles of arrows and olive branches in its talons.
A claw (especially of a bird of prey). On the $1 bill, you can see an image of an eagle gripping bundles of arrows and olive branches in its talons.
sever (verb)
To separate a part from the whole by cutting. The welder severed the water pipes running into our town, leaving us all without water.
To separate a part from the whole by cutting. The welder severed the water pipes running into our town, leaving us all without water.
intercept (verb)
To stop or seize something while it's on its way somewhere. The quarterback threw the ball long and far, but the other team was able to intercept it.
Other forms: Thanks to the interception (noun) of the letter, the English were able to crack the German code during World War II.
To stop or seize something while it's on its way somewhere. The quarterback threw the ball long and far, but the other team was able to intercept it.
Other forms: Thanks to the interception (noun) of the letter, the English were able to crack the German code during World War II.
jubilation (noun)
A feeling of great joy. Caroline conveyed her jubilation to the crowd with a thumbs up and a big smile.
A feeling of great joy. Caroline conveyed her jubilation to the crowd with a thumbs up and a big smile.
preserve (verb)
To save; to protect. I know I'll be different when I get older, but I want to preserve at least a little bit of my hilarious sense of humor.
To save; to protect. I know I'll be different when I get older, but I want to preserve at least a little bit of my hilarious sense of humor.
illuminate (verb)
1. To light up; to supply with light. The room was illuminated by a single bare lightbulb. 2. To make known or clear. I read Tony's diary, and some of the passages really illuminated why he and Mica don't get along.
1. To light up; to supply with light. The room was illuminated by a single bare lightbulb. 2. To make known or clear. I read Tony's diary, and some of the passages really illuminated why he and Mica don't get along.
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