Kwaku Anansi and the Turtle - West African

Hello there! My name is Turtle, and I move very, very slowly through the world, carrying my sturdy shell on my back. I may not be fast, but I am patient and thoughtful. Long ago, in a warm, sunny village in West Africa, I had a friend named Kwaku Anansi, the spider. Anansi was clever, with legs as thin as threads and a mind full of tricks, but he was also very greedy and loved to eat more than his share. One day, he invited me to his house for dinner, and I learned all about his sneaky ways. This is the famous story of Kwaku Anansi and the Turtle.

I walked for a very long time to reach Anansi's house, and the journey made my feet quite dusty. When I finally arrived, the wonderful smell of roasted yams and delicious stew made my tummy rumble with excitement. But just as I reached for a tasty piece of yam, Anansi stopped me with a wave of his thin leg. 'Turtle,' he said with a sly smile, 'your hands are dusty from your journey! You must go to the river and wash them before you eat.' It was good manners, so I didn't argue. I slowly walked all the way to the river and scrubbed my hands until they were sparkling clean. But my walk back was long and slow, and by the time I returned to the table, my hands were dusty all over again from the path. Anansi just shrugged and ate every last bite of the wonderful feast himself while I sat there, hungry and sad. I knew then that I would have to teach my tricky friend a lesson in fairness.

A few days later, on October 5th, I invited Anansi to my home for dinner. 'I would love to come!' he shouted, already thinking about the food. My house is special because it is at the bottom of the cool, clear river. Anansi arrived at the riverbank, but he was so light that he just floated on top of the water like a leaf. 'Oh, Anansi,' I called up to him. 'You will need to put some heavy stones in your pockets to sink down here.' Anansi was so greedy for the meal that he didn't think twice. He stuffed his coat pockets with smooth, heavy river stones and sank right down to my dinner table. But just as he reached for the food, I said, 'Anansi, my friend, it is not polite to wear a coat at the dinner table!' Anansi didn't want to be rude, so he took off his coat. Whoosh! Without the heavy stones to hold him down, he floated right back up to the surface. He had to watch from above as I enjoyed my delicious dinner all by myself. He learned that day that it isn't very fun to be tricked out of a meal.

My story with Anansi became a favorite tale told by families all across West Africa. Grandparents would gather the children under the shade of a big tree and share it to teach them that being clever is not as important as being kind and fair. They wanted the children to learn that treating others with respect is the best way to live. Even today, the story of Anansi the spider reminds us all to treat our friends with kindness. It shows how a little bit of cleverness, when used for good, can make the world a fairer place, and it keeps us all connected to the wonderful tradition of storytelling.