Share Your Wisdom

An old West African story tells us that Nyame, the sky god, once gave a spider named Anansi a huge pot filled with all the wisdom in the world. Upon giving Anansi the great gift, Nyame instructed him to share the wisdom with everyone. But when Anansi looked into the pot and saw all the wonderful things it contained, he became greedy and determined to keep it all for himself. But keeping it meant he must protect it and hide it from others so he determined that he would hide the pot on the top of the tallest tree in the jungle. Surely no one would find it there.

Holding the pot full of wisdom, Anansi began to climb the tree, but even with all his arms and legs climbing was difficult while trying to hold the pot. Anansi’s son, Intikuma, watched his son struggle up the tree and shouted to his father, “It would be much easier if you would tie the pot to your back.”

At this, Anansi became angry. “A young spider knows more than I who have the pot of wisdom!” and in his rage he threw the pot to the ground. The pot burst and pieces of wisdom flew everywhere. Many, many people gathered up the bits of wisdom and shared them with their family and friends and that is why to this very day no one person has all the wisdom in the world. Instead each of us has a little piece that we share with everyone else.