One evening, Anansi the spider looked up at the sky, mesmerized by the countless stars that twinkled above. However, his ever-curious nature took hold, and he thought, “Why should the sky have all those beautiful stars, and I have none?”
With his crafty mind, Anansi devised a plan. He decided to weave a giant web that stretched from one end of the horizon to the other. Once done, he began to pluck the stars from the sky, one by one, and place them into his web.
As Anansi continued his mission, the sky grew darker and darker. The animals of the land noticed this sudden darkness and began to worry.
“Why is the night so dark? Where have all the stars gone?” cried the owl, who used the starlight to hunt.
Lion, the king of the animals, roared for a gathering. “We must find the stars and bring back the light,” he declared.
Following the trail of missing stars, the animals soon discovered Anansi’s vast web, gleaming with stolen stars. They were taken aback by its beauty, but they also recognized the imbalance Anansi had created.
“Anansi,” Lion roared, “the stars belong to the world, not just to you! By keeping them for yourself, you’ve plunged the rest of us into darkness.”
Feeling embarrassed and realizing the consequences of his greed, Anansi agreed to return the stars. With the help of the other animals, they carefully placed each star back into the night sky.
As the world was bathed in the soft glow of starlight once again, Anansi learned that some things are meant to be shared, and their beauty is magnified when everyone can enjoy them.
Moral of the story: “True beauty and joy are found in sharing, not in hoarding.”