Turtle's Dirty Hands Jolly Phonics · Step 2, Unit 11: er, ir, ur as in her, bird, turn

Anansi cooks a big hot feast. He stirs the thick nut dish, and it smells so good. Then, tap, tap! A tap at the way in.

It is Turtle, dusty from the long road. 'Anansi, I am so hungry,' he says. 'First,' says Anansi, 'go wash that dirt off at the river.'

Turtle comes back, but Anansi is deep in the yams. 'I spy dirt!' says Anansi with a smirk. 'Go back and wash.'

Turtle returns, and now the pots sit empty. 'The feast is all done,' says Anansi with a grin. Turtle just nods. Turtle has a plan.

Turtle asks Anansi to a feast deep down in the river. Anansi rushes to the bank first thing. He peeks at the murky river and grins.

Anansi jumps in, but he bobs on the top. He kicks and spins and churns the river, but he can not sink. Turtle waves from the feast far down.

Turtle sinks back down to eat. Anansi spots firm round stones in the mud. 'Stones will help me sink!' he blurts. He has a sly plan.

Anansi grabs a sturdy reed coat and packs six stones in it. Down he sinks, plop! Turtle smiles and sets out the feast, fish and clams and sweet seeds.

'First we take off hats and coats,' says Turtle. But if Anansi takes off the stiff coat, up he will go! He can not reach one dish. Turtle munches and slurps.

Anansi tugs at the coat, and the stones shift. Up he bursts, out of the river! He twirls and lands on the bank with a thump. Wet stones hop in the dirt.

Turtle pops up, full and glad. 'Come back some day,' he says, and he turns and sinks. Anansi sits wet on the bank. He thinks and thinks. Now he gets it.

Now Anansi feeds all who come. A dusty bird taps at the way in. 'Come in and eat lots!' says Anansi. No trips to the river, no dirt, no tricks.