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AGES 5-6 • 10 pages • about 2 min to read together
Kweku tries to trap the river’s beautiful song, then learns from Giraffe that songs and rivers must flow freely to help everyone.
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PAGE 1 OF 10
One sunny morning, Kweku Anansi walked beside the river. Water tumbled over smooth stones, splashed around roots, and hummed a soft, happy song.
PAGE 2 OF 10
Kweku stopped to listen. “That is the sweetest song in the village,” he whispered. “If I could keep it, everyone would come to hear my wonderful river song.”
PAGE 3 OF 10
So Kweku gathered stones, branches, and mud. At a narrow bend, he built a little dam to hold the water still and trap the river’s music.
PAGE 4 OF 10
At first, Kweku smiled. The water rose behind the dam like a shiny pond. But the song grew quieter and quieter until only silence sat on the riverbank.
PAGE 5 OF 10
Downstream, the fish could not swim through the shallow water. A garden of okra plants drooped in the sun. Small animals sniffed the dry stones and stepped back.
PAGE 6 OF 10
Then Giraffe came to the river. She bent her long neck gently until her kind eyes were close to Kweku’s. “Where has the river’s song gone?” she asked.
PAGE 7 OF 10
Kweku looked at the silent pond. “I wanted to keep it for myself,” he said. His voice was small. “But now no one can hear it.”
PAGE 8 OF 10
Giraffe nodded. “Songs grow when they are shared. Rivers sing because they move. If you stop the river, you stop the song.”
PAGE 9 OF 10
Kweku called the animals and children to help. Together they lifted stones, pulled branches away, and opened a path for the water.
PAGE 10 OF 10
The river rushed forward, laughing over the rocks. Fish swam, plants lifted their leaves, and the song returned. Kweku smiled and sang along, happy to share it with everyone.
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
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 5–6
