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AGES 7-8 • 12 pages • about 3 min to read together
Kweku tries to gather all the village’s wisdom into one pot, but young Ama’s simple advice teaches him that wisdom belongs to everyone.
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PAGE 1 OF 12
Everyone in the village knew Kweku Anansi was clever. He solved riddles before breakfast, remembered stories after hearing them once, and watched the ants to guess when rain would come.
PAGE 2 OF 12
One day, Kweku began to think too highly of himself. “Perhaps I should keep all the wisdom safe,” he said, “so no one else can use it badly.”
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Kweku found a large clay pot with a smooth lid and carried it through the village. He planned to fill it with every wise thought he could find.
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Elders shared sayings. Farmers shared planting knowledge. Children shared bright ideas. Kweku tucked every clever thought into the pot, and warm golden sparks flickered beneath its lid.
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The pot grew heavier and heavier. Soon Kweku believed he had collected every bit of wisdom in the village. “Now I must hide it where no one else can reach.”
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At the forest edge stood a tall old tree. Kweku placed the pot inside a woven carrying basket and decided to hide it among the branches.
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Kweku lifted the basket onto his back and began to climb. The first low branch was easy. The next was harder, but he kept going carefully.
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The basket bumped against the trunk and pulled him backward. Kweku huffed, puffed, and tried again, but the pot kept getting in his way.
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A younger village child named Ama watched from below. “Why carry the pot on your back?” she called. “If you hold it in front, you can see it and climb more easily.”
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Kweku froze. He had gathered wisdom from the whole village, yet Ama had seen the answer he missed. He climbed down and said, “Even the smallest voice may carry a great idea.”
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Kweku opened the pot. Warm golden light swirled over the path, through the gardens, around the cooking fires, and into every home. The wisdom returned to the people.
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From that day on, Kweku still loved clever ideas, but he listened more carefully. Wisdom did not belong in one pot or one head. It grew best when everyone could share it.
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
