Long ago in West Africa, there lived two very different men who became neighbors. One was Anansi the Spider, sly and cunning as always, and the other was Nothing, a wealthy man whose palace stood tall beside Anansi’s ragged hut. Although they lived close, their lives could not have been more different. Anansi’s hut was bare, his clothes were worn thin, and he had little to his name. But his clever mind was always spinning. Nothing, on the other hand, lived in comfort, wrapped in rich velvet and enjoying the blessings of abundance.
One day, Anansi and Nothing decided to travel together to a neighboring town. The purpose was clear they were going in search of wives. For such a journey, appearance mattered, and so began Anansi’s scheme.
The Trick of the Velvet Cloth
As they walked along the road, Anansi eyed Nothing’s fine velvet cloth. His own ragged cotton garment made him look more beggar than bridegroom. With his smooth words, he convinced Nothing to let him borrow the velvet “only for a while,” he promised. Nothing, kind and unsuspecting, agreed. But Anansi, true to his greedy nature, never returned the cloth.
By the time they reached the town, Anansi shone like royalty. Women admired him, and he gathered wives easily. Nothing, in his poor and tattered cloth, was mocked and scorned. People laughed at him, whispering about how pitiful he looked. Still, fortune gave him one blessing a compassionate woman who took pity on him and offered her daughter as his wife.
Anansi’s wives ridiculed the poor girl. They mocked her for choosing a man who seemed to be nothing at all. But the young woman stood firm. She had seen beyond his clothing and into his heart, where goodness lay.
Anansi’s Deadly Trap
Anansi, however, was not satisfied. Jealousy burned within him as he watched Nothing and his wife live happily together. He schemed day and night, until at last he devised a cruel plan.
He gathered his rat friends and ordered them to dig a deep tunnel just outside Nothing’s door. Inside the pit, he lined the bottom with sharp knives and broken bottles. To make the trap complete, he smeared the palace steps with slippery okro so that anyone stepping out would surely fall. Then, hiding nearby, he called out to Nothing in the night.
“Come outside, my friend,” he urged. “I have something to show you.”
But Nothing’s wife was wise. She warned him not to go, sensing danger. Anansi tried again and again, calling louder each time. Finally, weary of resisting, Nothing rose and stepped outside. The moment his foot touched the okro-smeared step, he slipped, tumbling into the pit of knives.
The crash and his cries woke the household. Lights were brought, and when they peered into the hole, they saw Nothing bleeding terribly. His wounds were too deep, and he soon died.
The Crying for Nothing
Nothing’s wife mourned deeply. In her grief, she boiled yams, mashed them, and carried a great dishful around the district. She offered the food to children she met, asking them to eat and cry with her for her husband. From that time forward, when children are found crying and asked why, the answer often comes: “I am crying for Nothing.”
Moral of the Story
This folktale reminds us that greed and envy destroy both trust and life. Anansi’s jealousy blinded him to the goodness of friendship, and his deceit led to the death of a man whose only fault was kindness. On the other hand, Nothing’s wife shows us that love is not about riches or appearances, but about seeing the heart. In life, deception may bring temporary gains, but in the end, truth and compassion outlast every trick.
Knowledge Check: Anansi and Nothing
1. What is the lesson of Anansi and Nothing?
The story teaches that greed, jealousy, and deceit ultimately lead to destruction, while kindness and love endure beyond wealth or appearance.
2. Why did Anansi borrow Nothing’s velvet cloth?
He wanted to look wealthy so he could attract wives in the neighboring town.
3. How did Nothing manage to find a wife despite his rags?
A kind woman took pity on him and gave him her daughter, who married him despite the scorn of others.
4. What trap did Anansi prepare for Nothing?
He dug a deep hole lined with knives and bottles, smeared the palace steps with okro, and tricked Nothing into falling.
5. Why do children sometimes say they are “crying for nothing”?
It comes from this folktale, where Nothing’s wife shared yams with children and asked them to cry for her husband’s death.
6. What cultural origin does this folktale belong to?
It is a West African folktale, part of the Anansi storytelling tradition.
Cultural Origin
This tale comes from West Africa, rooted in the Akan storytelling tradition, where Anansi the Spider appears as a trickster figure who often outsmarts others but sometimes causes harm through his greed.
