Back to stories list

Anansi na Kashinshi Anansi and Wisdom Anansi na Maano

Written by Ghanaian folktale

Illustrated by Wiehan de Jager

Translated by Oscar Zangata

Language Lunda

Level Level 3

Narrate full story The audio for this story is currently not available.


Yaaka yahanyima, antu hiyelukili zhidizhezhimaku. Hiyelukili kutumba mbutuku hela kuton’ga yakuvwala hela kufula yitwa. Nzambi Nyame wamumawula wadin’ga nakashinshi kaheseki. Wayilaminini mumba yakuwumba.

Long long ago people didn’t know anything. They didn’t know how to plant crops, or how to weave cloth, or how to make iron tools. The god Nyame up in the sky had all the wisdom of the world. He kept it safe in a clay pot.

Mu nshita yakale saana, abantu tabaishibe nangu cimo. Tabaishibe ifyakubyala ifilimwa nangu ukupikula, nangu ukupanga ifibombelo fya fyela. Leesa Nyame uwali mu muulu umutali ewakwete amaano yonse mu caalo. Aayasungile mu nongo.


Ifuku dimu, Nyame wazhinini kwinka iyi imba kudi anansi. Impiji yezhima Anansi neyi natali mumba, wadi’nga nakutan’ga chuma chachiha. Chadin’ga chamuzan’galu.

One day, Nyame decided that he would give the pot of wisdom to Anansi. Every time Anansi looked in the clay pot, he learned something new. It was so exciting!

Ubushiku bumo, Nyame apeele Anansi inongo ya maano. Lyonse ilyo Anansi aalelolesha mu nongo, alesambililamo icintu cimo icipya. Caliweme nganshi.


Anansi wachifwa washinganyekeli, “Nikulama iyi imba hewulu damutondu wawulehi. Dichi yikwikala yami nkayami!” wayikasili kutambu mumbunda. Watachikili kukandama kumutondu. Ilan’ga chadin’ga chakala kukandama namba kumutondu yinakumweta mumanun’gu mpinj yezhima.

Greedy Anansi thought, “I’ll keep the pot safe at the top of a tall tree. Then I can have it all to myself!” He spun a long thread, wound it round the clay pot, and tied it to his stomach. He began to climb the tree. But it was hard climbing the tree with the pot bumping him in the knees all the time.

Anansi mu kuitemwa, aatontonkenye ati, “Ndesungila inongo pa muulu wa muti uutali pakuti tailubile. Lyena ninshi ikabafye yandi neeka!” Apikula intambo iitali, aipomba ku nongo no kuikaka pa mala. Atampa no kuniina ku cimuti. Nomba cali icayafya ukuniina icimuti ne nongo pantu yalemupunka mu makufi cila nshita.


Mpiji yezhima, mwana ka Anansi wadin’ga hesshina da mutondu nakutala. Wahosheli nindi, “Hichikwikala chaswayiku neyi wukandama kumutondu namba wunakasili kunyima?” Anansi wesekeli kukasila imba yakashinshi kunyima yindi kaha nawa chedin’ga chaswayi.

All the time Anansi’s young son had been standing at the bottom of the tree watching. He said, “Wouldn’t it be easier to climb if you tied the pot to your back instead?” Anansi tried tying the clay pot full of wisdom to his back, and it really was a lot easier.

Inshita yonse ii, umulumendo umwana uwakwa Anansi aiminiine mwisamba lya muti aletamba. Epakusosa ati, “Bushe teeti cangukeko nga mwakakiliile inongo panuma?” Efyo Anansi aeseshe ukukaka inongo ya maano panuma, awe no kwanguka cayanguka.


Hakadi nimpinji, washikili kwiwulu damutondu. Ilan’ga wemene nakushin’ganyeka, “yami natela kwikala namaana ilan’ga mwanami wudi wababala kubadika ami!” Anansi wahilili chakwila anata nimba hamaseki kufuma kumutondu.

In no time he reached the top of the tree. But then he stopped and thought, “I’m supposed to be the one with all the wisdom, and here my son was cleverer than me!” Anansi was so angry about this that he threw the clay pot down out of the tree.

Ukwabula ukupoosa ne nshita afika na pamuulu wa muti. Nomba atala iiminina no kutontonkaya ati, “Nine mfwile ukukwata amaano yonse, nomba apa umwana wandi akwatapo amaano ukuncila!” Anansi afulwa icibi. Apoosa ne nongo panshi ya cimuti.


Yabalukili nakuchikeka hamaseki. Kashinshi kedin’ga kamuntu wezhima kudanzan’gena. Dichi antu elukiliwu kudima, kuton’ga yakuvwala, kufula yitwa nayuma yezhima yelukawu antu kulelu.

It smashed into pieces on the ground. The wisdom was free for everyone to share. And that is how people learned to farm, to weave cloth, to make iron tools, and all the other things that people know how to do.

Iŋongo yapona panshi yatobaika. Amaano nomba yabafye ya muntu onse. Ukufuma apo, efyo abantu baishibe ukulima, ukupikula no kufula ifishimbi na fimbipo ifyo abantu baishiba ukucita pali leelo.


Written by: Ghanaian folktale
Illustrated by: Wiehan de Jager
Translated by: Oscar Zangata
Language: Lunda
Level: Level 3
Source: Anansi and Wisdom from African Storybook
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 International License.
Options
Back to stories list Download PDF