Anansi is known in West African storytelling for his cleverness, but his clever plans do not always bring him the rewards he expects. In this tale, a severe famine leaves him struggling to feed his wife and children. His search for food leads him to a mysterious island, where an encounter with Thunder changes his fortunes.
Thunder gives Anansi a magical cooking pot that can provide food whenever its owner calls upon it. At first, the gift seems like the perfect answer to his family’s suffering. However, Anansi soon begins to worry more about protecting his private supply of food than feeding the people who depend on him.
His selfish decision sets off a chain of events that costs him the very gift that could have ended their hunger. When he returns to Thunder for help, he discovers that another magical object may not bring him the result he desires.
A Famine Leaves Anansi’s Family Hungry
A long and severe famine once struck the land where Anansi lived. Food became difficult to find, and Anansi struggled to provide for his wife and children. His household suffered from hunger, and he could see no easy way to improve their situation.
One day, while gazing desperately out to sea, Anansi noticed a tiny island rising from the water. A tall palm tree grew on it, and he hoped its nuts might provide something to eat.
The island was far from the shore, so reaching it would not be easy. When Anansi arrived at the beach, however, he found an old, broken boat. It looked unreliable, but he decided to try his luck.
His first six attempts to push the boat away from the shore failed. Each time, a great wave drove him back onto the beach. Anansi refused to give up. On his seventh attempt, he managed to get the boat moving and eventually reached the island.
He tied the battered boat to the palm tree, which grew almost straight out of the water, and climbed up to collect the nuts.
The Journey to Thunder’s Cottage
Anansi plucked the nuts he could reach and tried to drop them into his boat. Unfortunately, every nut missed its target and fell into the sea. He watched them disappear one by one.
He carefully aimed the last nut, hoping at least to take something home. It, too, fell into the water.
Anansi had made a difficult journey, risked the waves, and climbed the palm tree, yet he had nothing to show for his efforts. He could not bear the thought of returning home empty-handed.
In despair, he threw himself into the water.
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Instead of drowning, Anansi found himself standing on the sea bottom. Before him stood a pretty little cottage. An old man came out and asked why he had come to Thunder’s cottage.
Anansi explained his troubles. He told Thunder about the famine, his family’s hunger, his journey to the palm tree, and his failure to collect even one nut.
Thunder listened sympathetically. Rather than sending the hungry visitor away, he went inside his cottage and returned with a fine cooking pot.
He presented it to Anansi and explained that it would always provide enough food for him and his family. With such a gift, Anansi would no longer have to worry about going hungry.
Anansi was delighted. He thanked Thunder warmly and left with the wonderful pot.
The Magical Cooking Pot
Anansi was eager to discover whether Thunder’s promise was true. Once he had returned to the old boat, he spoke to the pot:
“Pot, pot, what you used to do for your master do now for me.”
Immediately, all kinds of delicious food appeared.
Anansi enjoyed a hearty meal. For the first time in a long while, he could eat until he was satisfied without worrying about where the next meal would come from.
He then travelled back towards the shore. His first thought was to hurry home and feed his hungry wife and children. The magical pot could provide the food they desperately needed, and he had every reason to share his good fortune.
However, as he approached land, another thought took hold of him.
Anansi began to fear that if he used the pot to feed his entire family, its magic might run out. He imagined that he would be left with nothing for himself.
Instead of trusting Thunder’s promise, he decided to keep the pot secret. He would hide it and use it whenever he became hungry, while his family remained unaware of his discovery.
The thought pleased him. He believed he could enjoy his meals privately without having to share his new fortune.
A Father Hides Food from His Family
When Anansi arrived home, he pretended to be exhausted and hungry. He behaved as though his journey had brought him no success and claimed no food could be found.
His wife and children were weak from hunger. They needed food urgently, but Anansi ignored their suffering.
He secretly hid the magical pot in his room. Whenever he felt hungry, he went inside, called for food, and ate a satisfying meal. Afterwards, he returned to his family without revealing what he had done.
The contrast between them became increasingly obvious. His wife and children grew thinner as their hunger continued, while Anansi grew plumper from the meals he enjoyed in secret.
His family began to suspect that he was hiding something. They knew he was eating better than they were, and they decided to discover how he was managing it.
Anansi’s eldest son, Kweku Tsin, had the power to change himself into any shape he wished. He decided to use this ability to watch his father without being noticed.
Kweku Tsin transformed himself into a tiny fly and followed Anansi.
Eventually, he watched his father enter his room and close the door. Anansi took the pot from its hiding place, called for food, and enjoyed another meal. When he had finished, he returned the pot to its hiding place and left, pretending that he was going out to search for food.
Once Anansi was safely out of sight, Kweku Tsin returned to his own form. He took the pot and called his hungry family into the room.
At last, they could eat properly. They enjoyed a meal as satisfying as the one Anansi had eaten in secret.
The Pot Is Lost
Mrs Anansi was angry that her husband had hidden food while the family suffered. She decided that the people of the village should also benefit from the magical pot.
She took it down to the village and began preparing food for everyone. The pot provided a great quantity, but the effort of preparing so much food at once caused it to grow too hot.
The magical pot melted away.
The family could no longer use it to produce food. Mrs Anansi was worried about what her husband would do when he discovered that his treasured secret had disappeared, so she told everyone not to mention the pot.
When Anansi returned, he was ready for another private meal. He entered his room, closed the door, and went to the place where he had hidden the pot.
It was gone.
He searched the room in disbelief, but he could not find it anywhere. He realised that someone had discovered his secret and taken the pot. Although he suspected his family, he said nothing about the matter that evening.
By morning, Anansi had decided to return to the island and seek Thunder’s help once more.
Anansi Returns to Thunder
Anansi went to the shore and climbed into the old boat. To his surprise, it began moving of its own accord and carried him swiftly towards the palm tree.
When he reached the island, he tied the boat to the tree and climbed up to collect the nuts again.
This time, the nuts seemed to fall easily into the boat. Not one dropped into the water as they had during his first visit.
Anansi, however, had no intention of keeping them. He deliberately threw the nuts overboard and jumped into the water after them, repeating the action that had brought him to Thunder’s cottage before.
Once again, he found himself standing on the sea bottom outside the cottage. Thunder was there to hear his story.
Anansi explained what had happened to the cooking pot. Thunder listened, showing the same sympathy he had shown during their first meeting.
This time, however, he did not give Anansi another cooking pot. Instead, he presented him with a fine stick and bade him goodbye.
Anansi was eager to discover the new gift’s magical power. As soon as he was back in the boat, he spoke to the stick:
“Stick, stick, what you used to do for your master do for me also.”
The result was not what Anansi expected.
The stick began beating him so severely that he was soon forced to jump into the water and swim towards the shore. He left both the boat and the stick behind.
Anansi finally returned home, bruised and sorrowful. He regretted his actions and wished he had behaved more wisely from the beginning.
His search for food had brought him to Thunder and earned him a gift capable of feeding his whole family. Yet his selfishness had prevented him from using that gift as intended. By keeping the pot for himself, he had lost it, and his second journey had ended in pain rather than another reward.
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Moral of the Story
The tale warns against greed and selfishness. Anansi received a gift that could have relieved his family’s hunger, but he chose to keep it for himself. His desire to protect his private supply of food cost him the magical pot and led to a painful consequence. The story encourages generosity, gratitude, and wise use of good fortune.
Knowledge Check: Questions and Answers
1. Why did Anansi travel to the island in the sea?
A severe famine had left his family hungry, and he hoped to collect nuts from the palm tree growing on the island.
2. How did Anansi reach Thunder’s cottage?
After failing to collect the nuts, he threw himself into the water and discovered that he could stand on the sea bottom outside Thunder’s cottage.
3. What gift did Thunder give Anansi during their first meeting?
Thunder gave him a magical cooking pot that could provide enough food for Anansi and his family.
4. Why did Anansi hide the cooking pot?
He selfishly feared that feeding his family would use up its magic and leave nothing for him.
5. How did Anansi’s family discover the secret?
His eldest son, Kweku Tsin, transformed himself into a tiny fly and watched Anansi use the pot to prepare food.
6. What happened when Anansi returned to Thunder for another gift?
Thunder gave him a magical stick, but when Anansi tried to use it, the stick beat him until he escaped by jumping into the water.
Source
West African Folk-Tales, collected and arranged by W. H. Barker and Cecilia Sinclair, first published in 1917. “Thunder and Anansi,” Part I, “Anansi, or Spider, Tales,” story IV, page 39.
