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AGES 5-6 • 10 pages • about 2 min to read together
Kweku borrows Kofi the songbird’s voice for applause, then learns that another creature’s gift should be respected and returned.
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PAGE 1 OF 10
Every dawn, a little songbird named Kofi sang from the tallest tree. His sweet voice woke the village, the forest, and even the sleepy flowers.
PAGE 2 OF 10
Kweku Anansi loved the song, but he also loved applause. “Everyone listens to Kofi,” he thought. “What if they listened to me like that?”
PAGE 3 OF 10
One morning, Kweku carried a tiny calabash to Kofi’s branch. “May I borrow your song for one day?” he asked. “Then you can hear how beautiful it sounds.”
PAGE 4 OF 10
Kofi was curious. He sang softly into the calabash. A warm golden glow curled inside. “Only until sunset,” Kofi chirped.
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At dawn, Kweku opened the calabash and sang with Kofi’s voice. The villagers stopped to listen. Birds tilted their heads. Kweku bowed proudly.
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But Kofi sat silent on his branch. He opened his beak, and no song came out. The forest felt too quiet, as if morning had forgotten to smile.
PAGE 7 OF 10
When sunset came, Kofi fluttered down. “Please give back my song,” he chirped. Kweku hugged the calabash. “Maybe I should keep it one more day,” he said.
PAGE 8 OF 10
The evening wind heard Kofi’s tiny sigh. It swirled through the leaves, lifted the calabash from Kweku’s hands, and opened it with a soft pop.
PAGE 9 OF 10
The golden song floated back to Kofi like warm sunlight. Kofi sang one clear note, then another. Soon the whole forest seemed to breathe again.
PAGE 10 OF 10
Kweku bowed his head. “I am sorry, Kofi. Your song belongs with you.” From then on, Kweku clapped for Kofi at dawn and used his own voice to join the chorus.
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.
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- 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
