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Ananse's Quest for Common Sense

How the Trickster Spider Learned the Value of Humility and Collaboration

By Caxton Obeng DarkoPublished about a year ago 3 min read
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Once upon a time, Ananse, the spider, was known throughout the land as the wisest creature. He had a reputation for collecting and hoarding all the common sense in the world, making him the go-to creature for advice and guidance.

One day, Ananse realized that he had not collected all the common sense in the world, and he set out on a mission to gather the rest. He traveled far and wide, seeking advice from every creature he met. He listened intently to their words and gathered every piece of knowledge he could find.

As he collected more and more common sense, he became more proud and arrogant, believing that he had become the wisest creature in the land. Soon, animals began to seek him out for advice, offering gifts of food and trinkets in exchange for his wisdom.

Ananse basked in the attention and the admiration he received, but he knew that he must continue collecting common sense to maintain his status as the wisest creature in the world. He traveled even farther and wider, asking questions and gathering knowledge.

One day, Ananse realized that he had collected all the common sense in the world. He felt proud of himself, but at the same time, he was worried that someone might try to steal his eggshell when he wasn't looking. He knew that he needed to find a good hiding place for his precious eggshell.

Ananse searched high and low for the perfect hiding place and finally found a tall tree that he thought was ideal. He tied the eggshell to a rope and hung it around his neck, keeping it close to his belly. He knew that the journey up the tree would be difficult, but he was determined to hide his eggshell in the tree's leaves where no one would find it.

As Ananse climbed the tree, he heard a young boy laughing. When he turned to see who was laughing, he saw the boy standing not far from the tree. The boy asked Ananse what he was doing, and Ananse told him that he was taking his egg to its nest.

The boy laughed again and asked Ananse why he had tied the eggshell to his belly. He suggested that Ananse should tie the eggshell to his back instead. Ananse was furious that he had missed such a simple solution, and in his anger, he tugged at the rope that held the eggshell too hard, causing it to break into little pieces.

All the common sense scattered onto the ground, and the wind lifted it and scattered it near and far, so that everybody got a little bit of common sense, but no one got it all. Ananse had learned a valuable lesson that day: that sometimes the easiest things seem hard, and sometimes we need others' help.

Ananse realized that he had been foolish and arrogant to believe that he had collected all the common sense in the world. He learned that true wisdom comes from being humble and open to learning from others. And so, he continued his journey, collecting common sense, but this time with a newfound humility and respect for the knowledge and wisdom of others.

In the end, Ananse's mistake led to a world where everyone had a little bit of common sense, making it a better and wiser place for all.

Young Adult
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