Once upon a time, in the heart of Ghana, there lived a clever spider named Kwaku Ananse. Ananse wasn’t just any spider—he was the smartest trickster in the entire land.
However, he didn’t always use his cleverness for good. He often employed it to deceive people and take whatever he desired.
One sunny morning, while Ananse was out for a stroll, he noticed something peculiar.
In the distance, there was a strange village he had never encountered before.
The houses were crooked, and the paths were littered with scattered pots, broken brooms, and heaps of bananas. The villagers were walking in circles, loudly conversing with themselves.
Ananse’s eight little legs tingled with curiosity.
“What kind of place is this?” he wondered, creeping closer.
At the edge of the village, Ananse spotted a man attempting to fetch water. Instead of using a calabash or a bucket, the man was dipping a basket into the stream.
Each time he lifted it, the water splashed right through the holes. The man scratched his head and said, “Hmm, I wonder why this basket isn’t working. Maybe I need to try harder!”
Ananse’s jaw dropped. “What? A basket for fetching water? These people must be fools!” he whispered, a sly grin spreading across his face. “Ah, but their foolishness will be my advantage.”
He strutted into the village, his chest puffed out. “Greetings, my good people!” he called out. The villagers paused and stared at him.
“Who are you?” asked an old woman who was trying to light a fire by striking a rock with a leaf.
“I am Kwaku Ananse, the wisest spider in all the land!” he proclaimed proudly. “I have come to assist you with your problems!”
The villagers cheered. “Hooray! We need someone wise like you!”
Ananse smirked. “This is going to be easier than stealing honey from a sleepy bee,” he thought.
The first man approached him, holding up the dripping basket. “Great Ananse, can you teach me how to fetch water? No matter how many...Ananse stroked his chin thoughtfully, pretending to think. “Ah, the solution is simple,” he said. “Give me all your baskets, and I will fix them for you.
While I do that, you must bring me a big bowl of fufu to keep me strong for the work.”
The man beamed. “Thank you, oh wise spider!” He hurried off to prepare the meal, leaving Ananse with all the baskets.
“Fufu for free? Baskets to sell later? This is going perfectly!” Ananse chuckled.
Just as Ananse was about to move on to his next trick, he noticed a group of children trying to plant corn.
They were digging holes with their hands, throwing the corn on top of the soil, and patting the ground as if they were tucking it into bed.
“Oh, great spider,” one of the children cried. “Why won’t our corn grow? We’ve been planting all day, but it just stays the same!”
Ananse’s sly smile returned. “Don’t worry, children,” he said. “I have the perfect answer.
Bring me all your corn, and I will plant it for you. But first, you must gather firewood and cook me the sweetest yam stew.”
The children cheered and ran off to do as he said. Ananse rubbed his belly. “Ah, this is the best village ever!”
But little did Ananse know, his tricks were about to take a surprising turn...
''Indeed Ananse is with idiot souls'', he muttered.
Questions
Who is the main character in this tale?
How many characters are mentioned in this passage?
Who was Ananse?
Summarize the second paragraph of this tale in two sentences.
Why did Ananse describe the village as “the best village ever!”?
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