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AGES 11-13 • 12 pages • about 3 min to read together
Kweku spreads a false rumor about his own death to hear what others say, attends the wake in disguise, and learns that honest appreciation cannot be stolen through deception.
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PAGE 1 OF 12
Kweku Anansi loved applause almost as much as he loved clever plans. One afternoon, after a story circle praised everyone except him, a foolish question began buzzing in his mind.
PAGE 2 OF 12
“What would they say if I were gone?” he wondered. Instead of asking honestly, Kweku begged his older cousin Kojo to spread a false rumor that Kweku had died far from home.
PAGE 3 OF 12
Kojo frowned. “A joke about death is a heavy joke,” he warned. But Kweku promised no one would be harmed, only surprised. By sunset, the rumor had crossed the village and entered the forest.
PAGE 4 OF 12
The next evening, villagers and forest neighbors gathered around an empty storytelling stool draped with a spare orange cloth. Some spoke kindly. Some sighed with relief. All told the truth as they remembered it.
PAGE 5 OF 12
Kweku came in disguise, wrapped in a gray-brown raffia cloak, a plain headwrap, and a dark face cloth. He called himself “Cousin Kwasi from far away” and sat at the back, listening.
PAGE 6 OF 12
He heard that his stories were bright, his jokes quick, and his help sometimes generous. Then he heard that his tricks had embarrassed people, wasted time, and made friends wonder when to trust him.
PAGE 7 OF 12
The words stung more than Kweku expected. Praise felt sweet, but truth had sharper teeth. Still, when the feast appeared, pride and hunger began arguing inside him.
PAGE 8 OF 12
There were honey cakes, roasted plantain, groundnut stew, and spicy yam, all his favorites. Kweku reached from beneath his disguise, forgetting to hide the orange scarf fringe and familiar sandals.
PAGE 9 OF 12
Akosua the hornbill tilted her head. “That distant cousin has Kweku’s scarf,” she called. Nana Lion narrowed his eyes. “And Kweku’s sandals.” The gathering fell silent.
PAGE 10 OF 12
Kweku tried one last fake cough, but his own laugh escaped first. The disguise sagged, the face cloth slipped, and everyone saw the very boy they had gathered to remember.
PAGE 11 OF 12
Laughter rose, but not all of it was gentle. Nana Lion said, “Only Kweku would pretend to be gone just to hear himself praised. If you want honest love, arrive honestly.”
PAGE 12 OF 12
Kweku apologized before the empty stool and the full circle. From then on, he still loved applause, but he learned that praise means more when it is earned in the open.
Talk about it together
- What was your favourite part of the story?
- What do you think Anansi learned?
- What would you have done differently?
ABOUT THIS TALE
Anansi (Kwaku Ananse) is the clever spider of Ashanti folklore from Ghana. These tales were told aloud for generations and travelled the world with the Akan people. This is an original retelling that keeps the wit and warmth of the tradition alive for young readers.
More Anansi stories
Anansi and Adoma’s Wish Stone →
Explore more Anansi
- Who is Anansi? — meet the clever trickster spider of Ghana.
- See Anansi in 360° — his spider and human forms.
- More free stories for ages 11–13
