Anansi and the Golden Pot Read online

  Taiye Selasi

  For my Safa, the most marvelous of storytellers.

  Illustrated by Tinuke Fagborun

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  There was once a little boy whose name was Kweku, but everyone called him Anansi.

  Anansi’s father, Kojo, picked the nickname.

  “In Ghana,” said Kojo, “where I was born, everyone knows Anansi—a clever little spider with a sparkle in his eye.”

  Anansi’s eyes were sparkly too,

  with spider leg-like lashes.

  Anansi loved his nickname,

  and he loved those spidery lashes.

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  He especially loved the traditional tales his parents told at bedtime—stories

  of the adventures of one little

  trickster spider.

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  Then, one winter, Anansi

  had an adventure of his own.

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  From the cold of the city he

  flew to the warmth of the beach

  where his father was born.

  Of course, Anansi’s sister and

  brother—Amma and Ato—came, too.

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  Anansi’s nana was waiting to greet

  them. Anansi adored his nana.

  Wise and kind, she had sparkly

  eyes and spidery lashes as well.

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  Vacations on the beach!

  What joy!

  There were so many things to do...

  He hauled in nets with fishermen. He helped his nana cook.

  Anansi c

  ater.

  limb

  eet w

  ed the coconut trees and drank the cool, sw US_001-032_Anansi.indd 8

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  Vacations on the beach!

  What joy!

  There were so many things to do...

  He hauled in nets with fishermen. He helped his nana cook.

  Anansi’s favorite

  thing was to eat

  Nana’s red-red,

  A

  a stew of beans,

  na

  with fried plantain—

  nsi

  ater.

  the greatest joy of all.

  climb

  eet w

  ed the coconut trees and drank the cool, sw US_001-032_Anansi.indd 9

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  Then, one day, a stranger appeared

  —this is, after all, an adventure.

  Sipping a coconut, shaded by palms,

  Anansi felt legs crawling on his head!

  Eight skinny legs, to be exact.

  “Eeek!” he cried. “A spider!”

  “Observant,” said a soft—and rather

  mischievous—little voice.

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  The spider leapt from Anansi’s

  head and down into his hand.

  “Allow me to introduce myself.”

  But he needed no introduction.

  “Anansi the spider!”

  said Anansi the boy.

  “So my bedtime stories were true!”

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  “Traditional stories are always true,”

  the spider answered, laughing.

  “Nothing lasts so long as truth,

  nor travels quite so far.”

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  “See that pot?”

  the spider continued.

  Anansi looked around them.

  All he saw were the empty shells

  of coconuts on the ground.

  “All I see are coconuts,”

  Anansi said, perplexed.

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  The spider merely chuckled. “Observant,” he said again.

  Then he hopped from Anansi’s hand and scurried to a shell.

  “This, my boy, is a golden pot.”

  It was Anansi’s turn to laugh.

  “But that’s a coconut shell,”

  Anansi chuckled, showing

  the spider. “Look!”

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  “I didn’t say look,” the spider said, impatient.

  “I said see.”

  Anansi turned the shell in his hands.

  And then, indeed, he saw: the inside

  of the coconut shell was bright

  and sparkling gold!

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  The spider winked.

  “As I said. A golden pot. See?”

  He crawled up Anansi’s

  leg, which tickled, and

  onto Anansi’s shoulder,

  from where he could

  whisper in Anansi’s ear.

  “And now for the fun part.

  MAGIC!”

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  “Close your eyes and repeat these words,”

  the spider instructed Anansi.

  “Do for me as you do for Spider!

  Fil with what I most desire!”

  And closing his eyes, cupping the pot,

  Anansi repeated the charm.

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  No sooner had Anansi spoken than the smell of ginger filled his nose. He opened his eyes and saw: the pot had filled with red-red stew! The entire shell was golden now.

  A magic golden pot!

  “A golden pot for a golden heart,” the spider said, and winked.

  “Just remember. You must share what you love with those you love the most.”

  “I will!” said Anansi, mouth full of red-red.

  But, alas, he didn’t.

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  In the days that followed,

  Anansi kept the golden

  pot by his side.

  Splashing in the ocean...

  taking a bath...

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  building castles

  from sand.

  Whenever he

  craved his favorite

  food, he spoke the

  spider’s charm.

  “Do for me as you do for Spider!

  Fil with what I most desire!”

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  However, he kept the pot a secret

  from Amma and Ato, afraid that

  they would steal it.

  He didn’t even tell Nana.

  Anansi feasted alone.

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  All he could eat! All for himself! Or rather: all by himself.

  In truth, Anansi grew lonely, hiding from Nana and Amma and Ato. Hiding the golden pot beneath his pillow made his head hurt. Not to mention his tummy—red-red is made of beans after all!

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  One night, Nana—who, after all,

  was wise as well as kind—sat on

  the edge of Anansi’s bed, rub
bing

  his aching tummy.

  “When I was young…,” Nana began.

  “But you’re still young,” objected Anansi.

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  “In spirit, yes,” laughed Nana.

  “But when I was also young in body... my parents told me tales about a spider and his pot.

  The stories were always different but the lesson was the same.”

  A very sleepy Anansi asked, although

  he suspected he already knew,

  “What was the lesson?”

  “Greed brings grief.

  Generosity brings joy.”

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  In the morning Anansi found Amma and

  Ato, and showed them the golden pot.

  “What is that?!” They gasped with wonder.

  Anansi closed his eyes.

  “Do for me as you do for Spider!

  Fil with what I most desire!”

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  This time, however, instead

  of filling with his favorite food,

  the golden pot filled with Amma’s

  favorite—kelewele—then

  Ato’s favorite—ice cream.

  Amma and Ato ate with delight.

  And Anansi watched,

  delighted.

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  Now he felt something on

  his neck. Eight skinny legs.

  Which tickled.

  Then he felt something

  in his heart.

  Generosity.

  Which glowed.

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  “You must share what you love,” the spider began, but Anansi finished for him.

  “With those you love the most,” Anansi said, and laughed with joy.

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  Learn more about the story. .

  Ghana is a country in West Africa. This is where, centuries If you had a magic golden pot, what would you fill it with?

  ago, the character of Anansi the Spider was born. No one knows who invented Anansi, but we do know he first appeared in stories told by the Akan people in the Ashanti region of Ghana. In traditional stories, Anansi the Spider is a “trickster,”

  which is a person who fools others

  to get what they want (but never

  to harm them, of course).

  Anansi stories

  traveled in the hearts

  of storytellers from

  West Africa to the

  Americas, Europe… and

  now to you! You are part of

  Ashanti

  a wonderful web. Where

  Region

  will you take Anansi next?

  “Anansi” means

  “spider” in the

  Akan language.

  So, how did a centuries-old tale get from Ghana to you?

  In Ghana, stories were traditionally spoken aloud rather Adinkra

  than written down. Because the same few stories were are symbols from Gh

  told lots of times, everyone knew them by heart.

  ana that represent concepts. Can you spot these ones throughout the book?

  A written story can get lost or destroyed. A spoken story cannot. This is why tales of Anansi the Spider have lasted for so long.

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  If you had a magic golden pot, what would you fill it with?

  aakye (Waa-chay)

  W

  Fruit

  Bofrot (Bow-froat)

  A Ghanaian dish that is

  served with a tomato stew.

  Waakye is made with rice,

  A delicious fried

  Sugarloaf pineapples,

  beans, and a special leaf.

  pastry that can be

  mango, and papaya are

  served as a snack.

  delicious tropical fruits

  grown in Ghana.

  Sugarcane

  Kenkey (Ken-kay)

  ele (Keh-leh-weh-leh)

  Jolof (Joh-luff)

  Kelew

  Kenkey is a type of sour

  Sugarcane is a type of

  dumpling made from

  grass, from which we get…

  steamed white corn.

  sugar! Chewing on a stick

  It is served wrapped

  of sugarcane releases

  A West African dish

  in corn husks.

  sweet liquid. Yum!

  Sliced fried plantain

  made with rice, tomatoes,

  seasoned with ginger

  onions, and spices.

  and spices.

  Adinkra are symbols from Ghana that represent concepts. Can you spot these ones throughout the book?

  Nea Onnim No Sua A, Ohu

  Nkyinkyim

  Ese Ne Tekrema

  Ananse Ntontan

  “he who does not know

  “twisting”. A symbol

  “the teeth and the

  “spider’s web”.

  can know from learning”.

  of initiative,

  tongue”. A symbol

  A symbol of wisdom

  A symbol of knowledge

  dynamism and

  of friendship and

  and creativity.

  wisdom and creativity.

  versatility.

  interdependence.

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  Taiye Selasi

  Tinuke Fagborun

  Taiye Selasi is a novelist and screenwriter of Tinuke Fagborun is a London-based,

  Nigerian and Ghanaian origin. Taiye’s true northern-born, British-Nigerian illustrator.

  love is storytelling. As a child, Taiye loved As a child, Tinuke always had a sketchbook West African fables and as soon as she

  and paintbrush in hand. Her style developed could grip a pen she started writing her own.

  over time to incorporate her Nigerian

  To pass this passion on to other children who heritage, borrowing from its rich history, love books brings Taiye boundless joy.

  colorful textiles, and intricate patterns.

  Special thanks to Akua A Boateng,

  A catalog record for this book is available Kariss Ainsworth, Lisa Gillespie, and the rest of from the Library of Congress.

  the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Champions ISBN 978-0-7440-4990-9

  for their invaluable input and support.

  DK books are available at special discounts when First American Edition, 2022

  purchased in bulk for sales promotions, premiums, Author Taiye Selasi

  Published in the United States by DK Publishing 1450

  fund-raising, or educational use. For details, contact: Illustrator Tinuke Fagborun

  Broadway, Suite 801, New York, New York 10018

  DK Publishing Special Markets, 1450 Broadway, Suite 801, Consultant Yasmin A. McClinton

  New York, New York 10018 [email protected] Text copyright © Taiye Selasi 2022

  Copyright in the layouts, design, and illustrations Commissioned by Pamela Afram

  Printed and bound in China

  of the Work shall be vested in the Publishers.

  Editors Sally Beets, Pamela Afram DK, a Division of Penguin Random House LLC

  Designer Brandie Tully-Scott

  22 23 24 25 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

  US Senior Editor Shannon Beatty 001–326449–Jan/2022

  Managing Editor Laura Gilbert

  Managing Art Editor Diane Peyton Jones All rights reserved.

  Without limiting the rights under the copyright reserved This book was made with Forest Stewardship Council ™

  Publishing Manager Francesca Young abo
ve, no part of this publication may be reproduced, certified paper – one small step in DK’s commitment Jacket Coordinator Issy Walsh

  stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or to a sustainable future. F or more information go to Production Editor Robert Dunn

  www.dk.com/our-green-pledge

  transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic,

  Production Controller John Casey mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), Deputy Art Director Mabel Chan

  without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.

  www.dk.com

  Publishing Director Sarah Larter Published in Great Britain by Dorling Kindersley Limited.

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  Taiye Selasi, Anansi and the Golden Pot

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