Long ago, Anansi the Spider was a greedy fellow who loved to eat more than anything else. One morning, he smelled delicious stews being prepared in two different villages. Unable to decide which feast to attend, Anansi came up with what he thought was a brilliant plan. He spun two long silk threads and tied one around his waist, giving the ends to his sons who were heading to each village. 'When the food is ready,' he instructed, 'pull the rope so I know it is time to eat.' To his shock, both feasts were served at the exact same moment. Both groups of people pulled the ropes with all their might, tugging Anansi in opposite directions. The silk tightened around his belly, squeezing his middle smaller and smaller as he cried out in pain. By the time the ropes were released, Anansi's round belly had been permanently squeezed into a tiny, thin waist, a trait all spiders have carried from that day forward.
Greed and the attempt to have everything at once often lead to losing more than you gain.
Questions about this story
What is the moral of Why Anansi Has a Small Waist?
The moral is that greed and trying to take more than one can handle often results in unforeseen consequences. It warns against the desire to be in two places at once out of selfishness.
Who is Anansi in African folklore?
Anansi is a prominent trickster character from the Akan people of Ghana. He often takes the form of a spider and is known for his wit, cunning, and frequent downfalls due to his own greed.
Why did Anansi tie ropes to his waist?
He tied ropes to his waist so that his sons in two different villages could signal him when their respective feasts were ready. He hoped to eat at both locations without missing the start of either.
Why do spiders have thin waists according to the story?
In the tale, the ropes tied around Anansi's middle were pulled tight from opposite directions simultaneously. This physical tension permanently squeezed his belly into the thin waist spiders have today.
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Good night.
