Once upon a time there lived a man, his name was Kweku Anansi. Kweku was both greedy and selfish and even after her got married, he had no desire to share his food with his new wife
One day, he went to God to complain that his wife was nothing more than an extra mouth to feed. He also complained that she was eating his share of the food at home. God asked Kweku, ‘What would you like me to do about this problem?’
‘God, please give me a wife with no mouth upon her face,’ replied Kweku.
God looked upon Kweku with bemusement as the trickster never failed to surprise him with his strange reasoning and outlandish plans.
‘Okay,’ said God. ‘Come the morning I shall give you a new wife with no mouth upon her face.’
Kweku was so excited that he went straight to the supermarket to buy yams and plantains for the next day. ‘Finally,’ thought the greedy man, ‘all of the food that I buy will be for me alone to eat!’
Waking up to a beautiful sunny morning, Kweku Anansi saw his new wife in the kitchen preparing breakfast. The wife turned and acknowledged her husband with a silent nod, then continued with her breakfast preparations before the stove.
Kweku could not believe that he was lucky enough to have a new wife, one who would cook only for him and eat nothing herself. And he could not believe that he had gotten away with asking for such a wife from God!
Several days passed and things seemed to be going very well… until he went to check on the food supplies in the kitchen. The greedy man was very surprised to discover that most of his food had disappeared. He knew that he could eat a great deal of food, but had he really eaten four bags of rice, six yams, and three plantains in such a short time? Kweku was very puzzled because he was supposed to be the only one eating the food, especially as his new wife didn’t even have a mouth with which to eat.
And so he decided to find out. Over the next few weeks he kept a very close eye on the kitchen. But no matter how closely he looked, he could find nothing unusual at all. His wife cooked every meal only for him. Kweku just did not understand why he still had to buy twice as much food each week. Where was it all going?
One night, Anansi woke up to drink some water as he was very thirsty. It was then that he heard a rumbling noise in the house and quickly went to check on his wife. But when he entered her room he discovered that she was not in her bed. So then he crept towards the kitchen and peered through the open door
The greedy man could not believe what he saw. There, sitting on a stool at the table, was his new wife emptying a big bowl of food into her body, he watched in amazement as she scooped up the boiled rice and yams, lifted up her right arm, and put the food into a mouth that was hidden in her armpit!
Kweku was very shocked to see such a thing. He thought to himself, ‘So this is where all of my food has been going. My wife has a secret mouth in her armpit and she has been stealing food during the night! What a mean trick!’
The next morning, he took his wife back to God and demanded to know why she had a mouth hidden in her armpit.
God answered, ‘You asked for a wife with “no mouth upon her face.” And so I gave you a wife with a mouth under her arm. You did not ask for a wife with no mouth at all.’
Kweku felt humiliated and tricked, but God had no sympathy for the greedy man. God said to him, ‘You had a devoted and loving wife, Kweku but because of your selfishness you thought you would be clever and demand a new wife from me. I am showing you that I am much wiser than you, and I hope you have learnt a lesson here. Greed and selfishness have no place in life
One day, he went to God to complain that his wife was nothing more than an extra mouth to feed. He also complained that she was eating his share of the food at home. God asked Kweku, ‘What would you like me to do about this problem?’
‘God, please give me a wife with no mouth upon her face,’ replied Kweku.
God looked upon Kweku with bemusement as the trickster never failed to surprise him with his strange reasoning and outlandish plans.
‘Okay,’ said God. ‘Come the morning I shall give you a new wife with no mouth upon her face.’
Kweku was so excited that he went straight to the supermarket to buy yams and plantains for the next day. ‘Finally,’ thought the greedy man, ‘all of the food that I buy will be for me alone to eat!’
Waking up to a beautiful sunny morning, Kweku Anansi saw his new wife in the kitchen preparing breakfast. The wife turned and acknowledged her husband with a silent nod, then continued with her breakfast preparations before the stove.
Kweku could not believe that he was lucky enough to have a new wife, one who would cook only for him and eat nothing herself. And he could not believe that he had gotten away with asking for such a wife from God!
Several days passed and things seemed to be going very well… until he went to check on the food supplies in the kitchen. The greedy man was very surprised to discover that most of his food had disappeared. He knew that he could eat a great deal of food, but had he really eaten four bags of rice, six yams, and three plantains in such a short time? Kweku was very puzzled because he was supposed to be the only one eating the food, especially as his new wife didn’t even have a mouth with which to eat.
And so he decided to find out. Over the next few weeks he kept a very close eye on the kitchen. But no matter how closely he looked, he could find nothing unusual at all. His wife cooked every meal only for him. Kweku just did not understand why he still had to buy twice as much food each week. Where was it all going?
One night, Anansi woke up to drink some water as he was very thirsty. It was then that he heard a rumbling noise in the house and quickly went to check on his wife. But when he entered her room he discovered that she was not in her bed. So then he crept towards the kitchen and peered through the open door
The greedy man could not believe what he saw. There, sitting on a stool at the table, was his new wife emptying a big bowl of food into her body, he watched in amazement as she scooped up the boiled rice and yams, lifted up her right arm, and put the food into a mouth that was hidden in her armpit!
Kweku was very shocked to see such a thing. He thought to himself, ‘So this is where all of my food has been going. My wife has a secret mouth in her armpit and she has been stealing food during the night! What a mean trick!’
The next morning, he took his wife back to God and demanded to know why she had a mouth hidden in her armpit.
God answered, ‘You asked for a wife with “no mouth upon her face.” And so I gave you a wife with a mouth under her arm. You did not ask for a wife with no mouth at all.’
Kweku felt humiliated and tricked, but God had no sympathy for the greedy man. God said to him, ‘You had a devoted and loving wife, Kweku but because of your selfishness you thought you would be clever and demand a new wife from me. I am showing you that I am much wiser than you, and I hope you have learnt a lesson here. Greed and selfishness have no place in life
What is the theme and moral in this story
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