Anansi was a busy spider man, and all eight legs were kept
on a constant move as he walked here and there through the jungle, but one day when he was
very very tired, Anansi stopped to rest in one of the beautiful silver threaded homes he
had spun for himself. Just as his weary eyes closed to the peace of dreams, the voices of
children shouted to him from below, "Please Anansi, we hear there are stories to play
with, we have nothing to do today. Give us a story to play with." Anansi walked to
the edge of his sparkling web and looked down at all of the waiting faces of the village
children below. "NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! You cannot play with a story, you must tell one
or listen to one." Anansi stopped, how could he begin to explain to ears who had
never heard a story. It was the fault of the Sky Giant! He possessed every story in the
world and refused to share even one of them. "How can I get a story for these
children? They have every right to enjoy stories too." Anansi looked again at all of
the smiling faces. "Let me tell you what must be done in order for you to hear a
story." Anansi's legs crisscrossed as he walked hurriedly down a slender thread to
the ground. He was determined the children would have their story before the sun went down
on that day.
COMMENTARY:
Will Anansi be able to face the Sky Giant and bring a story
back to these children? Will Anansi be able to perform the difficult and dangerous tasks
that are set before him by the Sky Giant in order to secure a story for the children? And
if Anansi has to choose just one story to bring back, what will that story be?
Anansi is an example of hard work and persistence. He
reminds us that it takes a lot of labor and a lot of wisdom to acquire that which we
desire from life and there are no short cuts. Anansi is a character that acts as a role
model for: honor, wisdom, responsible behavior, dedication and fearlessness for a good and
just cause to help others.
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