In a village where the sky kissed the tops of the trees and the river hummed lullabies, Anansi, the spider, was known for his cleverness. However, sometimes, his cunning ways led him astray. He began to think that he was the wisest creature in all the land.
One day, Anansi thought, “If I have all the wisdom, then others might make mistakes and suffer. I should keep all the wisdom to myself to ensure it’s used properly.” With this thought, he started collecting bits of wisdom from everyone in the village. Some gave willingly, thinking Anansi would use it for the betterment of all, while others were tricked into parting with their wisdom.
Once he had gathered all he could, Anansi poured all the wisdom into a large pot. Feeling the weight of the pot, and the magnitude of what he had done, Anansi decided to hide it at the top of the tallest tree where no one could reach it. He tied the pot to his back and began his difficult ascent.
Halfway up, struggling and straining under the weight of the pot, Anansi realized that he couldn’t climb the tree with the pot on his back. Just then, his youngest son, who had followed him out of curiosity, shouted, “Father, why not tie the pot to your front? That way you can climb without it getting in the way.”
Realizing the simplicity and wisdom in his son’s words, Anansi was struck with a profound thought. He had amassed all the wisdom in the village, yet he hadn’t seen such a simple solution himself.
Feeling ashamed of his greed and arrogance, Anansi decided to release the wisdom. He tipped the pot over, and as it spilled, the wisdom flowed back into the world, spreading far and wide, carried by the winds.
Moral of the story: “No one person holds all the wisdom. It is shared, collective, and often found in the places we least expect.”