Download PDF
Back to stories list

Ananzi na ũĩ Anansi and Wisdom Anansi na hekima

Written by Ghanaian folktale

Illustrated by Wiehan de Jager

Translated by Anna Kula

Language Kikamba

Level Level 3

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


Tene tene vyũ andũ maĩ na kĩndũ ona kĩmwe. Mayesĩ kũvanda, kana kũtuma ngũa kana kũtua mĩio ya kyũma. Nake ngai wa matu Nyame aĩ na ũĩ w’onthe ĩũlũ wa nthĩ. Aiaa ũĩ ũsu nthĩnĩ wa mbisũ ya ndaka.

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.

Hapo zamani za kale, watu hawakujua chochote. Hawakujua kupanda mimea, hawakujua kushona nguo, wala hawakujua kuunda zana za chuma. Nyame, mungu aliyekuwa mbinguni, ndiye aliyekuwa mwenye hekima zote za dunia. Alihifadhi hekima hiyo kwenye chungu cha udongo.


Mũthenya ũmwe Nyame nĩwasũanĩe kũnenge Ananzi mbisũ ĩsu yaa ũĩ. Kĩla ĩvinda Ananzi akunĩkĩla mbisũ nthĩnĩ nĩwamanyaa kĩndũ kyeũ. Nĩwew’aa mũyo mũno!

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!

Siku moja, Nyame aliamua kumpa Anansi chungu hicho cha hekima. Kila Anansi alipotazama ndani ya chungu cha udongo, alijifunza jambo jipya. Alifurahi sana!


Ĩndĩ Ananzi nũndũ wa ĩtomo nĩwaviindĩĩsye kwiya mbisũ ĩũlũ wa mũtĩ vala mũndũ ũtamyona nĩkana ekale na mbisũ ĩsu ee weka. Nĩwatumie ĩkanda ya mũsavivũ na oovea ĩkanda ĩsu ĩla mbisũ ya ndaka. Ananzi ĩndĩ niwovee ĩkanda ĩsu mwĩyovonĩ, mbisũ wethĩa ĩsũĩte mbee wake, na anzĩa kũlĩsa mũtĩ.

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 mlafi alinong’ona moyoni, “Nitakificha chungu hiki juu ya mti mrefu ili nikifaidi mwenyewe.” Akasokota uzi mrefu na kuuzungusha kwenye chungu. Kisha, akajifunga tumboni. Akaanza kupanda kwenye mti. Lakini ilikuwa vigumu kupanda kwenye mti huku chungu kikimgonga magotini kila mara.


Ĩndĩ kyaĩ kĩndũ kyũmũ kũlĩsa mũtĩ akũkũnangwa nĩ mbisũ saa syonthe. Ananzi nĩwanzĩe kũthata na kũnoa. Saa isu syonthe mwana mũnini wa Ananzi ongamĩte uungu wa mũtĩ asisĩlĩtye kĩla kyendee. Nĩwaisye, “kũlĩsa wovee mbisũ mwongo tikw’o laisi?” Ananzi nĩwatatie kwovea ĩla mbisũ mwongonĩ na mũio wake wethĩwa nĩwavũtha.

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.

Wakati huo wote, mwanawe alikuwa amesimama chini ya ule mti akimtazama baba yake. Akamwambia, “Baba, si ingekuwa rahisi kupanda endapo ungekifungia chungu mgongoni?” Basi Anansi akajaribu kukifungia chungu kilichojaa hekima mgongoni mwake, na kweli ikawa rahisi zaidi.


Ĩndĩ kyaĩ kĩndũ kyũmũ kũlĩsa mũtĩ akũkũnangwa nĩ mbisũ saa syonthe. Ananzi nĩwanzĩe kũthata na kũnoa. Saa isu syonthe mwana mũnini wa Ananzi ongamĩte uungu wa mũtĩ asisĩlĩtye kĩla kyendee. Nĩwaisye, “kũlĩsa wovee mbisũ mwongo tikw’o laisi?” Ananzi nĩwatatie kwovea ĩla mbisũ mwongonĩ na mũio wake wethĩwa nĩwavũtha.

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.

Punde tu alipofika juu ya mti, aliwaza, “Natakiwa kuwa ndiye mwenye hekima zote, lakini hapa mwanangu ndiye mwenye akili kuliko mimi.” Anansi alikasirishwa sana kiasi kwamba alikitupa kile chungu chini ya mti.


Nĩyavalũkile nthĩ na yanyaĩka tũlungu tunini. Ũu nĩw’o andũ mamanyie kũĩma, kũtuma ngũa na kũsovya mĩio ya kyũma na syĩndũ ingĩ ila andũ mesĩ kwĩka.

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.

Chungu kilivunjika vipandevipande pale chini. Hekima zikawa za bure kwa mtu yeyote kujichukulia. Na hivyo ndivyo watu walivyojifunza kulima, kushona nguo, kuunda zana za chuma, na mambo yote mengine ambayo watu wanajua kuyafanya.


Written by: Ghanaian folktale
Illustrated by: Wiehan de Jager
Translated by: Anna Kula
Language: Kikamba
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