In a time long ago, famine swept across the land like a merciless shadow. The fields lay barren, the streams ran low, and the villagers grew thin and pale. Their ribs showed, their eyes sank, and hunger carved lines into their faces. The air itself felt heavy with despair, for no one knew when food might return.
Yet, amid this suffering, one household stood apart. While the rest of the people starved, the family of Anansi’s cousin, Kofi, appeared strong, healthy, and well-fed. Their cheeks were round, their steps lively, and their voices carried joy where others only sighed.
Anansi, ever suspicious and ever greedy, noticed this difference at once. His sharp mind could not rest. How is it that my cousin thrives while all others waste away? He brooded and plotted, convinced that Kofi was hiding some marvelous secret. And, of course, Anansi was determined to uncover it, not to share in kindness, but to take for himself.
The Secret of the Magical Stone
One morning, during a hunt in the forest, Kofi had stumbled upon a wondrous sight. Resting on the soft grass lay a great grinding-stone, smooth and heavy, and it turned of its own accord. From it poured fine white flour, endless and abundant, needing no hand to guide it. Nearby, a clear stream of honey trickled down from the rocks, its sweetness filling the air.
Kofi, astonished, had sat and eaten until his belly was full. Yet, unlike his greedy cousin, he was a man of moderation. He carried home only what his family needed for the day. Each morning he returned quietly, gathered his share, and left the stone untouched for others who might chance upon it. His family flourished, not from greed, but from contentment.
But Anansi gave him no peace. Day after day, he pestered Kofi with questions, wheedling, begging, demanding to know his secret. At last, worn down by Anansi’s persistence, Kofi agreed, though with great reluctance. He feared what his trickster cousin might do. Still, he promised to show him the magical stone the next morning, once the women had begun their daily sweeping.
Anansi’s Impatience
Anansi, however, could never abide waiting. That very night, long before dawn, he gathered his children and instructed them to bang the cooking pots together, making a racket as if the women were already at work. Then he rushed to Kofi’s hut, shaking him awake.
“Quick, cousin! It is time to go,” he insisted.
Kofi, seeing through the trick, frowned. “No, Spider. I will not be fooled. I told you, not until the women sweep.” He lay back down and returned to sleep.
Anansi, not to be outdone, made his children seize brooms and sweep noisily around the yard. Once again, he hurried to Kofi. “Come, cousin! Do you not hear? The sweeping has begun. Let us start.”
But Kofi only shook his head. “Tricks, Spider, nothing but tricks. I will wait until morning.” And with that, he slept again.
This time, Anansi crept silently into the room. He took Kofi’s bag and cut a hole in the bottom, filling it with ashes. Then, smug and certain of success, he slipped away into the darkness.
The Discovery of the Trail
At sunrise, Kofi awoke, glad to see no sign of his troublesome cousin. He set out alone for the forest, bag in hand. Yet, behind him stretched a faint trail of ashes spilling through the hole. Anansi followed this trail eagerly, smiling to himself. Soon enough, he came upon Kofi seated before the marvelous stone, eating his fill.
“Aha!” Anansi cried, unable to contain his delight. “So this is the secret! Food for all, no more starving!”
“Hush, cousin,” Kofi warned, glancing nervously around. “Do not shout. This place is sacred. Sit quietly, eat, and take only what you need.”
But Anansi’s eyes glittered. After the meal, when Kofi gathered just enough for his family, Anansi declared, “No, no, no! I will take the stone itself. With it, I will be rich and never hungry again.”
Kofi pleaded with him, but Anansi’s greed was stronger than reason. He hoisted the stone onto his head and marched away.
The Stone Speaks
As he walked, the grinding-stone began to speak:
“Spider, Spider, put me down.
The pig came and drank and went away,
The antelope came and fed and went away.
Spider, Spider, put me down.”
But Anansi would not listen. He carried the stone from village to village, grinding flour and selling it until his bag was heavy with money. Only then did he set out for home.
Anansi’s Downfall
When he finally reached his hut, weary and aching, he tried to lower the stone. But it would not budge. It clung to his head as if rooted there. Anansi strained and tugged, but the weight grew heavier and heavier. His legs trembled, his back bent, and at last, he was ground down beneath the crushing burden. The stone pressed him into the earth until he was nothing but small fragments, scattered beneath its weight.
And that, they say, is why tiny spiders are often found huddled together under large stones.
Moral of the Story
This Ashanti folktale reminds us that greed blinds us to wisdom. Contentment brings peace, but those who grasp for more than they need often end up crushed beneath the weight of their own desires.
Knowledge Check
Q1: Who discovered the magical grinding-stone?
Kofi, Anansi’s cousin, discovered the stone while hunting in the forest.
Q2: What made the grinding-stone special?
It ground flour by itself without effort and was located near a stream of honey.
Q3: Why did Kofi keep the stone a secret?
Because he feared Anansi’s greed and knew he would misuse the gift.
Q4: What trick did Anansi use to follow his cousin?
He cut a hole in Kofi’s bag, filled it with ashes, and followed the trail.
Q5: What lesson does the story teach about greed?
Greed destroys those who cannot be satisfied with enough.
Q6: Why are spiders said to be found under stones?
Because Anansi was crushed beneath the magical stone, leaving his fragments under it.
Source: Ghana Folktale
