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Anansi ndi Nzelu Anansi and Wisdom Anansi na Maano

Written by Ghanaian folktale

Illustrated by Wiehan de Jager

Translated by Sitwe Benson Mkandawire

Read by Christine Mwanza

Language Nyanja

Level Level 3

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Matsiku amakedzana, anthu sanali kudziwa ciriconse. Sanadziwe kubzala mbeu, mwina kusoka zovala, mwina kupanga zitsulo zansimbi. Nyame mulungu wakumwamba anali ndi nzelu pa zonse zamdziko lapansi. Nzeluzi anazisungira bwino mu mbiya.

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.


Tsiku lina, Nyame anaganiza kupatsa Anansi mbiya ya nzelu. Nthawi iriyonse Anansi akayangana mumbiyapoto, anaphunziramo cinthu cina catsopano. Cinali cokondweretsa kwambiri!

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 waumbombo anaganiza, “Ndizasungira bwino mbiya pamwamba pa mtengo wautali. Motero uzakhala wanga ndekha. !” Anatenga nthambo yaitali, nakumangirira mbiya ndikuimangirira pamimba pake. Anayamba kukwera mtengo. Koma cinali cobvuta kukwera cifukwa mbiyapoto inali kumugunda kumyendo nthawi yonse.

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.


Pamene zonsezi zinali kucitika, mwana mwamuna mung’ono wa Anansi anali imirire kuonerera pansi pacimtengo. Iye anati, “Kodi sicizakhala capafupi kukwera mtengo ngati mwamangirira mbiya kumusana?” Anansi anayesa kumangirira mbiya yodzala ndi nzelu kumusana ndipo iye anakwera mtengo mosabvutika.

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.


Posacedwa konse anafike pamwamba pa mtengo. Koma iye anaima naganiza, “Ine ndiyenera kukhala ndi nzelu zonse, koma apa mwana wanga ndiye anali ndi nzelu kupambanira ine!” Anansi anakalipa kwambiri paizi motero anataya mbiya ya nzelu pansi kucoka mucimtengo.

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.


Mbiya inaphwanyika mtizidutswa itafika pansi. Pamenepo nzelu zinafaritsidwa kwa munthu aliyense. Ndiye mwamene anthu anaphunzirira kulima, kusoka zovala, kupanga zitsulo za nsimba ndi zinthu zina zimene anthu adziwa kucita.

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: Sitwe Benson Mkandawire
Read by: Christine Mwanza
Language: Nyanja
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.
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