How Wisdom Came To The World For Everyone (standard:fairy tales, 348 words)
Author: Peter Addo	Added: Feb 09 2003	Views/Reads: 3719/1	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
An African Folktale of the Ga speaking people of Ghana centering around Ananse the Spider

HOW WISDOM CAME TO THE WORLD FOR EVERYONE 

This is a very old story told to me by my Grandfather when I was a
little boy. It was about how Mr Ananse the Sly and greedy one among all 
the animals in the forest outsmarted himself. 

As the story goes Ananse, his first name was Kweku because he was born
on a Wednesday collected all the wisdom in the world and decided to 
keep it all in a large pot for him. Now he said “I have all the wisdom 
of the world for myself. At least that was what he thought. 

Kweku Ananse then tied the pot of wisdom around his neck with a strong
vine rope and let the pot hang in front of him. But then he was afraid 
that someone would find the pot of wisdom and steal it.” What shall I 
do with my pot of wisdom” He thought and thought and at last he said,” 
I shall hide the pot in the tallest tree in the forest.” So he searched 
the forest until he found the tallest tree and brought the pot of 
wisdom to the tree. While Ananse was trying to climb the tree his son 
was watching him.” Father,” he said,” I have an idea. Why not hang the 
pot behind you instead of in front of you. Then you will be able to 
climb the tree”. Well the sly one Ananse hung the pot behind him and to 
his surprise; he was able to climb to the top of the tree with his pot. 


Finally Ananse sat on a branch of the tree holding the pot of wisdom.  
“I thought I had all the wisdom in the world” He thought to himself. 

“I thought I had it all in my pot but     my own son has wisdom not in
my pot.” Then he made a statement that we still use today.” No 
one-person can have all the wisdom in the world.” He dropped the pot 
and it smashed into pieces and scatted all the wisdom all over the 
world. 


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