Characters:
Anansi
Mrs. Anansi
Hare
SCRIPT:
ACT I
(Anansi and his wife are talking in the living room).
Anansi: It’s not fair!
Mrs. Anansi: What are you talking about?
Anansi: Why do men have to be wise?
Mrs. Anansi: There is nothing you can do about it. So, get over it.
Anansi: Of course not!… where’s the clay pot that was given to me by Nyame, the sky god?
Mrs. Anansi: It’s in a safe place. You know that it means a lot to us!
Anansi: I know… that’s why I’ll use it to store in it all the world’s wisdom.
Mrs. Anansi: How are you going to do that?
Anansi: I’ll ask questions to everybody, and when someone tells me a wise answer, I’ll come home, open the pot, and I will repeat the answer inside the pot, and then I’ll cover the pot again.
Mrs. Anansi: It sounds like a good idea… and what are you going to do when the pot is completely full?
Anansi: I haven’t thought about it…first things first!
(Anansi heads to the door)
Mrs. Anansi: Where are you going?
Anansi: I’m starting right now… see you tonight.
Mrs. Anansi: Good luck!
(Anansi leaves).
Act II
(A year later. The clay pot is on the table. Anansi and his wife stare at the pot)
Anansi: It’s completely full!
Mrs. Anansi: What are you going to do?
Anansi: I still don’t know.
Mrs. Anansi: I think you should share it with every one in the village.
Anansi: No!
Mrs. Anansi: The pot is full of wonderful ideas and skills… you have learned many different things… it’s time for you to share it with the world.
Anansi: I said no! I will not share the treasure of knowledge with anybody. I will keep all the wisdom for myself.
(Anansi starts looking around the room)
Mrs. Anansi: What are you looking for?
Anansi: I need a safe place to hide the pot, somebody can come and steal it from me.
Mrs. Anansi: Don’t be afraid, no one will steal your pot of wisdom.
Anansi: Yes, they will. I really need to hide it somewhere!… I know! I’ll hide on top of a tall tree!
(Anansi takes the pot in his hands and runs away)
Mrs. Anansi: Where are you going Anansi!
Anansi: To the forest! To the forest!
Mrs. Anansi: Do you need help?
Anansi: No! Remember that I have the pot of wisdom, I’ll know exactly what to do!
Mrs. Anansi: I hope so, Anansi!
(Mrs. Anansi closes the door)
ACT III
(In the forest. Anansi looks at a tall tree)
Anansi: This is what I was looking for! This is the perfect tree to hide the pot of wisdom.
(Anansi takes some vines and makes some strong string and ties it firmly around the pot, leaving one end free. He then ties it to his tummy and starts to climb the tree).
Anansi: Oh, I never thought the pot would be so heavy!
(he tries and tries to climb the tree)
Anansi: It’s impossible! The pot gets on my way!
(A hare watches Anansi)
Hare: What do you have on that pot?
Anansi: I can’t tell you. If I tell you, something bad could happen to us.
Hare: Then, don’t tell me. I see that you want to climb the tree with that pot tied to your tummy.
Anansi: So! What is the problem?
Hare: It would be better if you tie the pot to your back, then it will be easier to cling to the tree and climb.
Anansi: What! I thought I had gathered inside this pot all the wisdom in the world… and there is still some one who knows things I don’t! How do you know more than I, if I have the pot of wisdom?
Hare: It’s just common sense.
(Anansi gets angry. Unties the pot from his body and throws it to the ground. The pot breaks and pieces of wisdom fly in every direction)
Anansi: It’s better if all the world have a piece of wisdom… I am going home!
(Anansi leaves)
The End
Author: West African Folktale
Adapted by K I D S I N C O
Moral: We shouldn’t be greedy. We should share with other our knowledge and skills, that way we all together may be wiser and generous.
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