ANANSI AND THE POT OF WISDOM

 THURSDAY TALE


 

Since it’s Thursday, it’s only right we turn to the most famous trickster in West African folklore: Anansi the Spider. In many traditions, Thursdays were days for storytelling and community gathering, and Anansi usually found a way to be the center of attention.

Here is a classic tale about how "common sense" ended up belonging to everyone.

Anansi and the Pot of Wisdom

Long ago, Anansi believed he was the smartest being in the world. However, he was also very greedy. He didn't want anyone else to have even a drop of intelligence, so he decided to collect all the world’s wisdom and keep it for himself.

The Collection

Anansi spent months traveling the world. He caught every bit of cleverness, every "good idea," and every ounce of common sense he could find. He stuffed them all into a large clay pot and sealed it tight with wax.

The Problem

He decided to hide the pot at the very top of a tall thorny tree so no one could reach it. He tied a rope around the pot and hung it in front of his chest.

But as he tried to climb:

• The pot was so big it bumped against the trunk.

• His eight legs couldn't get a good grip because the pot was in the way.

• He slipped, slid, and grew more frustrated by the second.

The Lesson

Watching from the bottom of the tree was his young son, Ntikuma. After watching his father struggle for an hour, Ntikuma shouted:

"Father, if you want to climb the tree, why don’t you tie the pot to your back? Then your arms and legs will be free to climb!"


Anansi froze. He looked at his son, then at the pot. He realized that even with all the wisdom in the world stuffed into his jar, a small child on the ground had more common sense than he did.

The Aftermath

In a fit of rage and embarrassment, Anansi threw the pot to the ground. It shattered into a million pieces. A Great Wind blew through the forest, picking up the bits of wisdom and scattering them across the entire earth.

And that is why, to this day, no one person has all the wisdom; we all have a little piece of it to share.


Author: Mr Samuel Avisey 




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