In a prosperous kingdom ruled by a proud and wise king, there lived three beautiful daughters. These princesses were famed far and wide for their grace and beauty, yet their names were a closely guarded secret known only to the royal household. The king, protective of his lineage and keen to ensure his daughters married only the cleverest of men, made a bold proclamation.
He declared, “Whosoever can discover the names of my daughters may choose one to marry. But beware — a wrong guess shall mean banishment from my kingdom forever.”
Suitors of every sort travelled from distant lands. Princes, warriors, merchants, and scholars all took their chances. They lined up with guesses, trying names like Ama, Efua, and Nana, only to fail. The princesses remained unmarried, and the king remained undefeated in his challenge.
Anansi the spider, known throughout the land for his cunning and schemes, was intrigued when he heard of this contest. “A challenge of names?” he mused. “That is not strength or gold, but simply listening well.”
Determined to uncover the secret, Anansi devised a clever plan. One morning, he climbed a tall tree along the path where the princesses were known to take their morning walks. In his pouch were fruits smeared with sweet honey.
As the princesses walked below, chatting and laughing, Anansi dropped a honeyed fruit onto the path. The youngest sister bent down and picked it up. “This is sweet as you, Akua!” she said with a giggle. “Akua!” the others echoed.
Moments later, Anansi dropped another fruit. The eldest turned to her sister and said, “Efia, do not be greedy!” Again, the name was spoken clearly.
Finally, a third fruit fell, and the middle sister laughed, “Sesi always eats the most!”
Anansi had heard what he needed. Akua, Efia, and Sesi — the names of the princesses. Now all he needed was someone trustworthy and articulate enough to speak the names to the king.
As he pondered, he noticed a lizard basking lazily on a rock nearby. Anansi approached and said, “Friend Lizard, I have a task for you. Go to the king tomorrow morning and say these three names: Akua, Efia, and Sesi. If you do so clearly, you shall win the hand of one of his daughters.”
The lizard blinked slowly. “You would give me a princess?” he asked in disbelief.
“Only if you remember and speak the names correctly,” Anansi replied, hoping the lizard would follow his instructions exactly.
The next morning, the lizard arrived at the palace. When brought before the king, he announced clearly and confidently, “Your daughters’ names are Akua, Efia, and Sesi.”
The court fell silent. The king was bound by his own decree and, though surprised, honoured his word. He offered the youngest princess to the lizard in marriage. The people celebrated, amazed by the lizard’s accomplishment.
Anansi, however, was furious. He had done the work. He had uncovered the secret. Yet it was the lizard who received the glory and the bride. His pride could not tolerate it. Burning with jealousy, he decided to take revenge.
That very night, Anansi crept into the palace courtyard and found the king’s prized rooster, the one that crowed each morning to wake the royal household. He killed it silently, then took its feathers and scattered them inside the lizard’s home.
As if that were not cruel enough, Anansi boiled water and, while the lizard slept, poured it into his open mouth. The lizard awoke in pain, his voice gone, his throat burned beyond speech.
At dawn, the rooster’s silence was noticed immediately. The king sent guards to investigate. When they found feathers inside the lizard’s house, suspicion fell on him. The lizard tried to speak, to defend himself, but no sound came. He opened his mouth again and again, but only nodded in desperation.
The king watched the lizard struggle. “Guilt silences him,” he said sadly. The lizard was stripped of his new wife and cast out of the palace in disgrace.
From that day onwards, lizards were never again heard to speak. They only nod, silently and slowly, as though remembering the day one of their kind lost everything through no fault of his own.
Story Source:
This story originates from the Ashanti people of Ghana, whose rich oral traditions use animals like Anansi the spider to reflect human virtues and flaws. Passed down through generations, the tale explains natural behaviour while teaching timeless moral lessons.
Moral Lesson:
Pride and envy can silence truth and punish the innocent.
This folktale reminds us that those who cannot share credit often choose to destroy what they cannot possess. Anansi’s plan was clever, but his unwillingness to let another benefit from it revealed his selfishness. Rather than feel joy for the lizard’s success, he allowed envy to consume him. His cruelty cost an innocent creature his happiness and voice.
The tale serves as a cautionary message: when pride is greater than justice, the righteous suffer. The lizard, though honest and obedient, paid the price for Anansi’s jealousy — a lesson still echoed in the quiet nod of every lizard today.
Knowledge Check: Questions and Answers
- What did the king offer to anyone who discovered his daughters’ names?
The king promised that any man who correctly named all three of his daughters could choose one of them to marry. However, a wrong guess would result in exile from the kingdom. - How did Anansi discover the princesses’ names?
Anansi climbed a tree along the royal path and dropped honeyed fruit onto the ground. As the princesses picked up the fruit and interacted with each other, they spoke each other’s names aloud, which Anansi memorised. - Why did Anansi choose the lizard to speak the names?
Anansi did not want to approach the king himself. He believed the lizard would be able to deliver the message clearly and earn the reward on his behalf. He intended to use the lizard as a mouthpiece while keeping the credit for himself. - What did the king do when the lizard spoke the correct names?
Bound by his own word, the king allowed the lizard to marry the youngest princess. The lizard was celebrated for his cleverness and obedience. - How did Anansi sabotage the lizard?
Jealous of the lizard’s success, Anansi killed the king’s rooster and placed its feathers in the lizard’s house to frame him. He then poured boiling water into the lizard’s mouth to silence him permanently, preventing him from speaking in his own defence. - Why do lizards nod according to the story?
According to the tale, lizards nod because they were once able to speak but lost their voices due to Anansi’s jealousy. Now, they can only nod silently, as a gesture of regret and sorrow.
