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Manaasi ni Kamakhula Anansi and Wisdom Anansi na hekima

Written by Ghanaian folktale

Illustrated by Wiehan de Jager

Translated by Fabian Wakholi

Language Lumasaaba

Level Level 3

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


Aabawo khaale ni khaale naabi, babaandu abe baakhumanyakho shishiindu shoosi ta. Sibaamanya khuubyaala byakhulya ta, namwe khuunaba tsingubo ta, namwe khuubasa bibyuuma ta. Ne wele waabwe Khabuumbi uwamenyatsaka mu ngaaki mwikulu aaba ni kamakesi koosi ke shibala. Abe waakabiikha buulayi mu nyuungu.

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.


Shifukhu shitweela, Khabuumbi waakhalawo khuuwa Manaasi inyuungu iyo iye kamakesi. Buli esi Manaasi ekheengela mu nyuungu umwo, eyikatsakayo shishiindu shiyaakha. Isho shaamwikhoyesatsaka naabi

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!


Lwe kumuluungo, Manaasi wambaasa ari, “Kane imbiikhe inyuungu yino buulayi imisya we kusaala kuleeyi. Kane shino shiinyalisise ise khuukimalila senyene. Manaasi waaborora luwuutsi luleeyi, waalubowelela khu nyuungu, lwanyuma waakibowa khu nda yeewe. Aryo waarakikha khuuniina khu kusaala. Ne sishaba shaangu khuuniina nga waasutile inyuungu ta, lwekhuuba yaba imukuunyaka khu meesikamo keewe buli nyaanga.

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.


Bino byoosi byakholekha nga umwaana wa Manasi umukyeekhe, uwaba weemikhile mwisiina mwe kusaala, waaloleleele.Kila aloma paapawe ari, “Sishaandibeele shaangu khuuniina nga waabowele inyuungu iyo khu mukoongo, mu shifwo she nda?” Manaasi waakhakakho waabowa inyuungu iyetsula kamakyesi khu mukoongo, ni abweenewo waashinyoola nga shaangu naabi khuuniina.

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.


Lubaluba, waatabula imisya we kusaala. Ne waasilamo wambaasa ari, “Iseese niye uwaandibeele ni kamakesi koosi, ne bona ari umwaana wase wafuurire ise kamakyesi!” Manaasi lirima lyamuwaamba lwashino, waabukula inyuungu iyaba ili imisya we kusaala waakitsukutsa aasi.

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.


Inyuungu iyo yekhupa aasi yaabulyungukhaka. Kamakesi iko kaasalanila kekyela ka buli muundu khuufunakho. Shino nisho shishamilamo babaandu khukhwiiyika khuulima, khuunaba tsingubo, ni khuubasa bibyuuma, atweela ni bibiindu bibiindi byoosi byeesi babaandu bakhola.

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: Fabian Wakholi
Language: Lumasaaba
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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