In the same harmonious village, there was a tree known as the Wisdom Tree. Every year, it bore a single fruit, and whoever ate it was said to gain immense wisdom. Anansi, ever the clever spider, thought to himself, “If I could eat that fruit every year, I would be the wisest of all!”
So, every year, just before the fruit was ripe, Anansi would weave a web around it, ensuring he was the first to reach it. He ate the fruit year after year, growing proud of his accumulated wisdom.
However, the animals of the village started to notice. “Anansi,” Elephant remarked one day, “You eat the fruit every year, yet you never share its wisdom with us.”
“I earned this wisdom,” Anansi replied smugly. “Why should I share?”
Time went on, and a severe drought hit the village. The animals were struggling, unable to find solutions to store water. Anansi, with all his wisdom, knew a way, but he kept it to himself, thinking they would praise and serve him in exchange for his knowledge.
But instead, the animals rallied together, pooling their collective wisdom. Owl suggested digging deep wells, Tortoise talked about water storage, and soon, they had a plan. The village was saved, not by Anansi’s singular wisdom, but by the collective insights of the community.
Anansi felt left out and regretted hoarding his knowledge. He realized that true wisdom is not in keeping it to oneself but in sharing and growing together.
From then on, Anansi not only shared the fruit of the Wisdom Tree but also actively spread its teachings. He learned that individual wisdom is like a single thread, but collective wisdom is like a strong, interwoven web.
Moral: Shared wisdom is more potent than individual knowledge, and collaboration often brings out the best solutions.