Once there was a giant bird in the woods named Man-Crow. When Man-Crow spread his wings, the world was cast into darkness. The king offered a great reward to anyone who could kill Man-Crow and make the world light again. He also promised that the victor could marry one of his daughters.

Thousands of men went into the woods to kill Man-Crow. They found him, perched on one of the tallest trees, but they couldn't kill him.

One day a poor boy named Soliday said to his grandmother, "I am going to see if I can kill Man-Crow."

His grandmother answered, "Don't be stupid, boy!"

But Soliday went to Kingston to buy a bow and six arrows and then set out. When he found Man-Crow, he sang, "Good morning to you, Man-Crow, good morning to you, Man-Crow, good morning to you, Man-Crow, how are you this morning?"

And Man-Crow jumped down to the first branch and answered "Good morning to you, Soliday, good morning to you, Soliday, good morning to you, Soliday, how are you this morning?"

Soliday shot an arrow at Man- Crow and two of his feathers flew out. He sang his song again, and Man-Crow jumped down to the second branch and answered as before. Soliday shot a second arrow and two more of Man- Crow's feathers flew out. And so the singing and shooting went on. At every song Man-Crow moved down one branch, and Soliday fired an arrow.

Soliday sang the song for the sixth time and Man-Crow jumped down one more branch. Soliday shot his last arrow and Man-Crow fell to the ground, dead. Anancy saw it all from a tree.

Soliday cut out Man-Crow's golden tongue and golden teeth, put them in his pocket, and went straight home to tell his grandmother. Anancy came down from his tree, heaved Man-Crow's body over his shoulder, and walked across the bush to rap at the king's gate.

"Who's there?"

"It's me, Anancy. I've killed Man-Crow."

The gate was thrown open and the king welcomed Anancy into his house. Cunning Anancy immediately wed the prettiest of the king's daughters and everyone started feasting to celebrate the death of Man-Crow. Only Anancy couldn't really enjoy the feast, because he had one eye on the door in case Soliday should come. Suddenly there was a knock at the gate. "Excuse me a moment," said Anancy, and, when everyone else went to see who was outside, he stole away from the table. Another knock rattled the gate's hinges.

"Who's there?" everyone shouted.

"It's me, Soliday. I've killed Man-Crow!"

"That's not possible. Anancy has killed Man-Crow."

Soliday showed them the golden tongue and teeth. The king looked in the mouth of dead Man-Crow, and saw that its tongue and its teeth had indeed been cut out. He then noticed that the door to his own house was shut fast. He shouted for Anancy.

"Just coming!" Anancy called from within.

After a minute or two, the king shouted for him again.

"Won't be a moment!" called Anancy. "I don't feel well."

All this time, while the king waited angrily outside, Anancy was making a hole in the roof. He was so ashamed. At last the king lost patience and kicked down the door. Anancy was nowhere to be seen.

Some say he's still lost, up there in the rafters.

So the king married his prettiest daughter to Soliday instead, and made him one of the richest men in the world.