Traditional | West Africa

Anansi and the Wisdom Pot

A spider named Anansi gathered all the wisdom in a large pot, but a child's simple suggestion shattered it, spreading wisdom everywhere.

Anansi and the Wisdom Pot
Text Version

Once upon a time, in a village in West Africa, there lived a clever spider named Anansi. Everyone knew him as the wisest creature because he had a sharp mind and quick wit. But Anansi wanted more. He wanted to be the only one with wisdom.

One day, Anansi had an idea. He decided to collect all the wisdom in the world and keep it in a big pot. He thought, "If I have all the wisdom, everyone will come to me for advice. I will be the most important creature in the village!"

So, Anansi traveled everywhere, collecting wisdom from all over the world. He visited tall mountains, deep oceans, and thick jungles. He asked everyone he met to give him some of their wisdom for his pot.

After many months of hard work, Anansi's pot was full of wisdom. He looked at the pot and said, "Now, I am the wisest of all. I need to find a safe place to hide this pot."

Anansi thought the best place to hide his pot of wisdom would be at the top of the tallest tree in the forest. He tied a rope around the pot and started to climb the tree, pulling the pot behind him. But the pot was big and heavy, and it was hard to climb with it.

As Anansi struggled, a small child walked by and watched him. Then, the child said, "Anansi, wouldn't it be easier to tie the pot to your back? That way, you could climb the tree more easily."

Anansi was surprised. He had been so busy collecting wisdom that he didn't think of such a simple solution. He realized that he did not have all the wisdom in the world.

In his shock, Anansi let go of the rope, and the pot fell to the ground. It broke, and all the wisdom scattered, carried away by the wind to every part of the world.

And that is why, even today, wisdom can be found in every person and every place, not just in one creature or one pot.

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Anansi and the Wisdom Pot