Anansi's Pot and One Good Idea

Anansi the spider wished to be wiser than everyone else. He traveled from village to village with a clay pot. People offered him bits of wisdom: how to mend a fishing net, when to plant seeds, and ways to settle an argument.

Each useful idea became a tiny golden spark inside the pot. Soon the sparks glowed like a pocketful of sunshine. Anansi placed a lid on top. "Now every clever answer belongs to me," he said.

He made a sign with the heading "Anansi Knows Best." Under a drawing of his pot, he wrote a caption, "Wisdom for one." But where could he hide such a treasure?

Anansi chose a tall tree beyond the village. He tied a cord around the pot and hung it against his belly. Then he began to climb. Bump! The pot struck the trunk. He stretched his legs around it, but he could not reach far enough.

Below him, his young son, Ntikuma, watched quietly. Anansi tried turning sideways. The pot still blocked his way. At last, Ntikuma called, "Why not hang the pot behind you? Then your legs can hold the tree."

Anansi moved the cord. With the pot against his back, he climbed easily to a broad branch. Then he stopped. He had collected so much wisdom, yet his son had thought of something he had missed.

"My pot cannot hold every good idea," Anansi murmured. "Even a small spider can teach me." He climbed down carefully and lifted the lid. Instead of hiding the pot, he tipped it toward the breeze.

Golden sparks drifted across the paths and gardens. Some settled near children; others floated toward grownups. Anansi watched them scatter, no longer trying to catch them. Then he took down his sign and asked Ntikuma, "What else can we learn together?"