Ananse and the Pot of Wisdom

Ananse and the Pot of Wisdom - A Kids Story

Ananse and the Pot of Wisdom

Once upon a time, long, long ago, there was a small spider named Ananse. Ananse lived in a warm land full of trees, birds, animals, and people. Even though Ananse was very small, he had a very big wish in his heart. He wanted to learn everything. He was curious about the sky, the earth, plants, animals, and people. He always asked questions.

“Why is the sky blue?” Ananse asked the birds.
“How do plants grow?” he asked the farmers.
“Why do people laugh and cry?” he asked the elders.

Sometimes, the others felt tired of his many questions. But Ananse never stopped asking or learning. He believed that knowledge was very important.

High above the land lived Nyame, the God of the sky and heaven. Nyame could see everything that happened on earth. He noticed Ananse and his strong love for learning.

Nyame said to himself, “This little spider loves knowledge more than anything. I should reward him.”

One bright morning, Nyame called Ananse.

“Ananse!” Nyame’s voice thundered gently from the sky.

Ananse looked up and bowed low. “Yes, Great Nyame?”

Nyame smiled and said, “Because you love to learn, I will give you a special gift.”

Suddenly, a large clay pot appeared in front of Ananse. It glowed softly and felt warm.

“This pot,” Nyame said, “holds all the wisdom in the world. Every idea, every lesson, every skill is inside it.”

Ananse’s eyes grew wide. “All the wisdom?” he asked.

“Yes,” Nyame replied. “Use it well.” And with that, Nyame disappeared into the clouds.

Ananse was very happy. He hugged the pot and laughed with joy.

“Oh, this is wonderful!” he said. “I will be the wisest spider ever!”

Each day, Ananse opened the pot and looked inside. He learned new things every time. He learned how to grow food, how to make tools, how to build homes, and how to tell stories. He learned why the sun rises and why the rain falls.

At first, Ananse shared some of what he learned.

“Look,” he told the people, “this is how you plant seeds.”

But slowly, a bad feeling grew inside his heart. Ananse began to think, What if everyone becomes as wise as me? Then I won’t be special anymore.

So he stopped sharing.

“This wisdom is mine,” he said. “I will keep it all for myself.”

Ananse decided to hide the pot of wisdom so no one else could find it. He found the tallest tree in the land. Its branches reached high into the sky.

“This is the perfect place,” Ananse said.

He tied a rope around the pot and another rope around his waist. He hung the pot in front of him and started to climb the tree.

But the pot was heavy. It kept hitting his legs.

“Ouch!” Ananse said. “This is too hard.”

Below him, his young son watched quietly. After a while, the son called out, “Father, why don’t you tie the pot on your back instead?”

Ananse stopped climbing. He thought about it. Then he tried it. Suddenly, climbing became easy.

Ananse froze.

“My son gave me good advice,” he said softly. “But if I have all the wisdom, how did my son know something I did not?”

Ananse felt angry and confused.

“I am supposed to be the wisest!” he shouted.

In his anger, Ananse grabbed the pot and threw it down from the tree.

CRASH!

The clay pot broke into many pieces. A bright light burst out. All the wisdom flew into the air like tiny sparks. The wind carried it across the land and far beyond.

Ananse climbed down slowly. He felt sad and ashamed.

“What have I done?” he whispered.

But something amazing happened. People began to learn new things. Farmers learned better ways to grow crops. Builders learned how to make stronger houses. Children learned songs, numbers, and stories. Everyone became wiser.

Ananse watched and understood.

“Wisdom is not meant to be kept alone,” he said. “It is meant to be shared.”

From that day on, Ananse changed. He traveled from village to village, sharing stories and lessons. He taught children and helped adults. People listened because his stories were fun and full of meaning.

Ananse became known as a wise spider, not because he owned all the wisdom, but because he shared what he knew.

And that is why, even today, wisdom belongs to everyone.

THE END

Moral of the Story:
Knowledge grows when we share it. Learning is good, but sharing what we learn makes the world a better place.


Story Comprehension Questions and Answers

1. Who is the main character in the story?

Answer: The main character is Ananse the spider.

2. What did Ananse love more than anything?

Answer: Ananse loved learning and gaining knowledge.

3. Who gave Ananse the pot of wisdom?

Answer: Nyame, the God of the sky and heaven, gave Ananse the pot of wisdom.

4. What was special about the clay pot?

Answer: The clay pot contained all the wisdom in the world.

5. How did Ananse feel when he first received the pot?

Answer: Ananse felt very happy and excited.

6. Why did Ananse stop sharing the wisdom?

Answer: He became greedy and wanted to keep all the wisdom for himself.

7. Where did Ananse try to hide the pot of wisdom?

Answer: He tried to hide it at the top of a tall tree.

8. Who gave Ananse advice while he was climbing the tree?

Answer: Ananse’s son gave him advice.

9. What advice did Ananse’s son give?

Answer: He told Ananse to tie the pot on his back instead of carrying it in front.

10. Why did Ananse get angry?

Answer: He realized that even with all the wisdom, his son still knew something he didn’t.

11. What happened when Ananse threw the pot?

Answer: The pot broke, and the wisdom spread all over the world.

12. How did people benefit from the broken pot?

Answer: People learned farming, building, making tools, and many useful skills.

13. How did Ananse feel after the pot broke?

Answer: He felt sad and ashamed at first, but later he understood the lesson.

14. What lesson did Ananse learn?

Answer: He learned that knowledge should be shared, not kept alone.

15. How did Ananse change at the end of the story?

Answer: He became a teacher and storyteller who shared wisdom with everyone.

Moral and Thinking Questions

16. What is the main message of the story?

Answer: The story teaches that sharing knowledge helps everyone grow.

17. Was Ananse right to keep the wisdom to himself?

Answer: No, because wisdom is more helpful when shared with others.

18. What would you do if you had a pot of wisdom?

Answer: (Encourage children to answer freely.) Example answer: I would share it with my family, friends, and teachers.

19. How can we share knowledge in real life?

Answer: We can help others, teach friends, read books together, and explain what we know.

20. What can we learn from Ananse’s mistake?

Answer: We learn that being greedy can cause problems, but learning from mistakes makes us wiser.

Creative and Fun Questions

21. What is your favorite part of the story?

Answer: (Children can share their personal favorite moment.)

22. If Ananse could talk to you, what advice would you give him?

Answer: Example: I would tell him to share knowledge and be kind.

23. What kind of wisdom would you like to learn?

Answer: Example: How to draw, help others, or take care of animals.

24. Can you think of another story that teaches sharing?

Answer: (Encourage discussion and storytelling.)

25. What does being “wise” mean to you?

Answer: Being wise means learning, helping others, and making good choices.




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Cheetah and the Lazy Hunter - A Traditional Zulu Story

Image
The Cheetah and the Lazy Hunter - A Traditional Zulu Story The Cheetah and the Lazy Hunter - A Traditional Zulu Story Once upon a time, long, long ago, there was a wide and sunny land filled with tall grass, green trees, and many wild animals. In this beautiful land lived a hunter. But this hunter was not like the brave and hardworking hunters in old stories. He was very lazy. Every day, the hunter sat under the shade of a big tree. The tree was old and strong, and its leaves were wide and cool. The hunter liked to sleep there all day. He did not like to walk, run, or hunt. He did not like to use his bow and arrow. Most of all, he did not like to work hard. The hunter was always hungry. His stomach growled all the time. But instead of getting up to find food, he just sat and dreamed. “Oh, I wish food would come to me by itself,” he said again and again. “I do not want to chase animals. I do not want to work. I want an easy life.” One hot afternoon, as the hunter sat under his tr...
Read more

The Tortoise, the Dog, and the Farmer: Learning Not to Steal

Image
The Tortoise, the Dog, and the Farmer: Learning Not to Steal - A Nigerian Folk Tale The Tortoise, the Dog, and the Farmer: Learning Not to Steal Once upon a time, in the animal kingdom of Nigeria, there lived many animals who shared the same land, forests, and villages. They lived together happily, helping one another and enjoying the gifts of nature. But one year, something very bad happened. There was a long dry season. The rain did not fall for many months. Rivers dried up, plants stopped growing, and farms became empty. Because of this, a terrible famine came to the land. Food was very hard to find. The animals were hungry every day. They became thin, weak, and sick. Parents worried about their children, and everyone searched for food from morning until night. Among all these animals lived a clever Tortoise. Tortoise was known for his slow walk and sharp mind. He loved food more than anything else. During the famine, Tortoise was always hungry. His stomach made loud noise...
Read more

The Cheetah and the Lazy Hunter

Image
The Cheetah and the Lazy Hunter - A Traditional Zulu Story The Cheetah and the Lazy Hunter Long, long ago, when the world was still learning how to grow, there was a wide land full of grass, trees, and animals. In this land lived a man who was known by everyone as   the lazy hunter . He had strong arms and sharp eyes, but he did not like to use them. Instead of hunting like other people in his village, he spent most of his days lying on the soft ground under a big bowbob tree. The bowbob tree gave cool shade, and the hunter loved to sleep there. He would stretch his legs, close his eyes, and dream about food. His stomach was often empty, but he did not want to walk far or work hard. “Oh, how I wish food could come to me,” the hunter said one afternoon. “Why should I run and hunt when my body feels so tired?” Not far from the tree, a group of springbok were eating grass in the open field. The hunter watched them with hungry eyes, but he did not move. He only sighed and ...
Read more