Long ago, during a time when the land suffered under a terrible famine, food became more precious than gold. A single grain of corn was valued beyond measure, and animals and people alike wandered in desperation for something to eat. Among them was Spider, the sly trickster known far and wide for his cunning ways. Hungry and weak, he scoured the forest in search of food.
To his great delight, Spider stumbled upon the body of a dead antelope lying beneath the trees. His eyes sparkled with greed, but he knew at once that this prize would not be easy to carry home. Others, if they saw it, would surely try to take it from him. And so, Spider hatched a plan.
He wrapped the antelope’s body carefully in a long woven mat, binding it securely with rope until it looked less like meat and more like a solemn bundle. Lifting it onto his head, Spider set off toward home. But he did not march silently, he wept loudly, telling every passerby that this was the body of his dear grandfather, whom he was carrying home for burial. Moved by his tears, everyone he met offered him sympathy, never suspecting the truth.
Wolf and Leopard grow suspicious
But not all were convinced. On his way, Spider met Wolf and Leopard, two sharp-eyed hunters who knew him well. They had seen too many of Spider’s tricks to trust his words. “That bundle looks too heavy for an old man’s bones,” muttered Wolf. Leopard narrowed his eyes. “We must see what lies beneath that mat.”
The two friends hurried along a shortcut to a large tree on Spider’s path. There they hid themselves, waiting. When Spider drew near, they shook the tree violently and let out terrifying cries. Spider, startled and trembling with fear, dropped the bundle at once and ran for his life.
Wolf and Leopard rushed from their hiding place, tore open the mat, and laughed with joy when they discovered the antelope’s flesh inside. Without wasting a moment, they carried it home, eager to feast.
Spider plots his revenge
Meanwhile, Spider sat alone, fuming. He realized at once that Wolf and Leopard must have been the ones who frightened him from the tree. Anger burned in his belly, not only had they stolen his prize, but they had mocked his cleverness. He swore he would take back the meat and punish them for their boldness.
Spider caught a small lizard and carefully filed the little creature’s teeth into fine, sharp points. He then sent the lizard to Wolf and Leopard’s home on an errand: to ask for fire. The lizard went, received the fire, and then deliberately quenched it before returning to ask again. When questioned, he grinned and revealed his sharp teeth.
Wolf and Leopard were amazed. “Where did you get your teeth filed so beautifully?” they asked. The lizard answered honestly: “Filing Spider did it for me.”
Excited at the thought of crushing bones with such strong teeth, Wolf and Leopard went straight to Spider’s house. “Brother Spider, file our teeth as you did for Lizard,” they begged. Spider, hiding his glee, agreed.
But he insisted the task must be done while they were hanging upside down on a tree, “so that the filings fall cleanly,” he explained. Eager and unsuspecting, they agreed. Once they were bound to the tree, Spider revealed his trick. He mocked them loudly, then gathered his family, and together they carried away the stolen antelope meat.
That very night, Spider prepared a grand feast. He invited the whole village, and they all dined and laughed before the two helpless captives still tied to the tree. Wolf and Leopard could only groan in humiliation as everyone ridiculed them.
White Ant shows kindness
The next morning, White Ant and his children passed by. Hearing the cries of Wolf and Leopard, they stopped. The two pleaded for help. Moved with pity, White Ant and his family gnawed at the tree until it broke, setting the prisoners free. Grateful, Wolf and Leopard promised that upon their return they would host a great feast in the ants’ honor.
But Spider, ever watchful, overheard this promise. He immediately decided he would steal the reward.
Spider’s deception and the tragedy of the ants
On the appointed day, Spider dressed his children to look like White Ant’s family. Together they marched to Wolf and Leopard’s home, singing the ants’ chorus to complete the disguise. Believing them to be the true ants, Wolf and Leopard welcomed them warmly and served a splendid feast. Spider and his children ate heartily, then slipped away.
Not long after, the real White Ant and his family arrived. But Wolf and Leopard, thinking these must be Spider’s children returning for more, grew furious. They seized boiling water and poured it upon the ants, killing nearly all of them. Only White Ant himself managed to survive.
Heartbroken and enraged, White Ant vowed revenge. “Never again will I help man or beast,” he declared. “Instead, I and my children shall destroy and damage all that belongs to them.” From that day to this, white ants have been enemies of man’s property, forever gnawing at wood, homes, and stores.
Moral of the Story
This tale warns against deceit and greed. Spider’s cunning tricks brought harm not only to his enemies but also to the innocent White Ants, whose bitterness turned into a lasting curse upon humankind. The story reminds us that dishonesty never ends well and that kindness betrayed may harden into vengeance.
Knowledge Check
1. Who discovered the dead antelope in the Ashanti folktale?
Spider found the dead antelope and tried to claim it through trickery.
2. How did Spider disguise the antelope’s body?
He wrapped it in a mat and pretended it was his grandfather’s corpse.
3. What trick did Spider use to fool Wolf and Leopard into being tied to a tree?
He pretended to file their teeth but bound them upside down instead.
4. Why did White Ant vow to harm man’s property?
Because Spider’s deception led to the death of his children by Wolf and Leopard.
5. What cultural origin does this story belong to?
It is an Ashanti folktale from Ghana.
6. What is the main moral lesson of this folktale?
Deceit and greed cause suffering, while kindness betrayed may lead to lasting consequences.
Source: Ghanaian Folktale
