Home › Anansi Stories › Ages 7-8
AGES 7-8 • 12 pages • about 4 min to read together
Kweku tries to eat his feast dish in secret, but the waiting animals help him learn that a true feast is about everyone sharing together.
Listen on Spotify
Watch on YouTubeRead the story
PAGE 1 OF 12
Every dry season, when the sun was bright and the mangoes turned yellow, Kweku Anansi’s village held a great shared feast.
PAGE 2 OF 12
The rule was simple: everyone brought one dish, and no one ate until every dish was on the long table. “A feast is not just food,” Lion always said. “A feast is everyone together.”
PAGE 3 OF 12
Kweku loved the feast. He loved roasted yam, sweet plantains, groundnut soup, and rice balls round as moons. But he did not love preparing his dish on time.
PAGE 4 OF 12
“This year,” Kweku said, rubbing his chin, “I will be clever.” He cooked a small pot of spicy groundnut soup before sunrise. Then he carried it into the forest where no one could see him.
PAGE 5 OF 12
Behind a curtain of green leaves, Kweku ate his soup alone. Slurp, slurp, sip! It was hot, creamy, and delicious. Soon his belly was round and happy.
PAGE 6 OF 12
When the shadows grew long, Kweku returned to the village clearing with an empty bowl tucked behind his back. He expected to see the table piled high with food.
PAGE 7 OF 12
But the long table was bare. Monkey held a covered basket. Antelope stood beside a bowl of greens. Mouse guarded a tiny calabash. Lion sat calmly beside a pot of stew.
PAGE 8 OF 12
“Why is no one eating?” Kweku asked. Lion looked at him kindly. “We were waiting for you, Kweku Anansi. The feast begins when everyone brings something to share.”
PAGE 9 OF 12
Kweku’s cheeks grew warm. He looked at the empty table, then at his empty bowl. His clever trick suddenly felt very small.
PAGE 10 OF 12
“I ate my soup alone,” Kweku said softly. “I thought I could eat twice. I am sorry. I forgot that a feast is not a hiding place for hunger. It is a place for friendship.”
PAGE 11 OF 12
So Kweku ran to help. He washed greens with Antelope, carried fruit for Monkey, fanned the cooking fire for Mouse, and stirred Lion’s stew until it bubbled: pop, pop, pop!
PAGE 12 OF 12
At last, Kweku cooked a fresh pot of soup and placed it on the table with both hands. This time, he did not hide. This time, he waited. When every dish was ready, Lion lifted his paw. “Now the feast may begin.” Kweku served Monkey first. He served Antelope, Mouse, Lion, and the smallest children near the table. Only then did he fill his own bowl. The food tasted better than it had in the forest. It tasted of laughter, stories, passing bowls, and many hands working together. From that day on, Kweku still loved clever ideas. But when feast season came, he cooked early, arrived proudly, and helped set the table. And whenever he saw one empty place waiting, he remembered Lion’s words: a feast is not just food. A feast is everyone together.
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 Sefu’s Hidden Spring →
Anansi and Allo’s Secret Well →
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 7–8
