We see that the python got trapped because of his vanity. Anansi used this weakness of the python to trap it. Anansi went “v to the forest and cut a long bamboo pole and some strong vines.

Then he walked towards the house of Onini, the python. All the while he kept talking to himself that his wife was stupid to say that Onini was shorter and weaker than that bamboo. Hearing this, Onini offered to be measured against the bamboo to solve the dispute. Anansi laid the pole on the ground and the python came and stretched himself out beside it. Anansi remarked that the python was a little short. When the python stretched at the head he was shorter at the tail and vice-versa.

So, with his consent, Anansi tied Onini’s head and tail firmly to the pole. He wrapped the vine around Onini until he was unable to move on the pretext of stretching him out against the bamboo. When the python was thus constricted, Anansi took the python to the Sky God as prisoner