Anansi the Wise
Some people think they know everything. Anansi the spider didn’t think that. He was a ___1___ spider.And he knew to have real wisdom (智慧). He had to learn more.
One day, Anansi found a (an) ___2___ gourd on the ground and he had an idea. “ ___3___ I get advice from others and put it in this gourd, then I’ll be wiser than anyone else in the world.”
So, he went from house to house and asked the other creatures (生物), “What’s your best piece of ___4___?” And they were all happy to share their wisdom, because they could see that Anansi ___5___ it.
The snail (蜗牛) said, “Don’t be in a hurry. ___6___ is not a 100-meter race.”
The butterfly said, “Life is short. Enjoy every day.”
The ant said, “You’ll ___7__ be great on your own. Everyone needs the help of others.”
Anansi was very happy with all this advice. He took it and put it in ___8___ gourd. And when he’d filled the gourd, he thought to himself, “Now, I have more wisdom than anyone else. I must ___9__ the wisdom, so no one can steal it.” He ___10___ and saw a hole high up in a tree, and he had an idea.
Anansi held the gourd in two legs and tried to ___11___ the tree with his other six legs. But the gourd was too big and he couldn’t climb. His son was nearby watching him. “Daddy,” he said, “why don’t you ___12___ the gourd to your back and then climb the tree?” “That’s very good advice,” said Anansi. “Thank you for sharing it with me.” And then Anansi realized that advice is only ___13__ when we share it with someone.
So, he climbed the tree with the gourd on his back. And when Anansi reached the ___14___, he held the gourd up to the wind. All the advice flew into the sky and traveled ___15___ the land. And wisdom came to everyone.
