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Basic 5 · Ghanaian Language · Story Telling

Retelling a Folktale of Five Scenes

In this topic you will retell a folktale of about five scenes and discuss its moral lessons and values.

By the end of these notes you should be able to:

  • Identify the scenes in a folktale
  • Retell a folktale in sequence
  • Discuss the moral and values of the folktale

What you already know

  • Storytelling (Basic 4)

Copy everything that has a blue line on its left into your notebook. The other parts are for reading.

Strand
Oral Language
Sub-strand
Story Telling
Indicator
B5.1.4.1.1-2 – Retell a folktale of about five scenes and discuss the moral/values of it

Introduction

Folktales are told in the evenings in many Ghanaian homes. Ananse stories are known across Ghana and the world. A good storyteller keeps the audience laughing, thinking and learning.

1. The Folktale: How Ananse Got the Wisdom Pot

Scene 1: Long ago, Ananse the spider gathered all the wisdom in the world into a big clay pot. He wanted to keep it all for himself.

Scene 2: Ananse decided to hide the pot at the top of a tall tree where no one could reach it. He tied the pot to his belly and began to climb.

Scene 3: The pot kept getting in his way. He slipped again and again, but he would not give up, and he was too proud to ask for help.

Scene 4: His young son, Ntikuma, watched from below and called out, "Father, why not tie the pot to your back? Then you can climb easily."

Scene 5: Ananse was so angry that a child knew better than him that he let go of the pot. It fell and broke, and wisdom scattered all over the world. That is why everyone has a little wisdom today.

Ananse climbing a tree with a pot tied to his belly while his son calls from below
Figure 1: Ananse and the wisdom pot Draw your favourite scene from the folktale.Illustration: Sirbus

2. Elements of the Folktale

Story elements
ElementIn this story
charactersAnanse, Ntikuma
settinglong ago, in a village with tall trees
problemAnanse wants to keep all the wisdom but cannot climb with the pot
climaxNtikuma gives his advice
resolutionthe pot breaks and wisdom spreads to everyone

3. Moral Lessons and Values

  • No one person has all the wisdom; we can learn from anyone, even a child.
  • Greed and selfishness lead to loss.
  • Pride stops people from asking for help.
  • Sharing knowledge benefits everyone.

4. Retelling the Folktale

  1. Begin with a traditional opening, for example "We do not really mean, we do not really mean, that what we are about to say is true."
  2. Tell the scenes in the correct order.
  3. Use different voices for each character.
  4. Add actions and facial expressions.
  5. Invite the audience to sing a song in the middle (mmoguo).
  6. End with the moral and a traditional closing.

Tip: In your Ghanaian language, use the traditional opening and closing formulas for folktales.

New words

folktale
A traditional story passed down by word of mouth.
scene
One part of a story in one place and time.
character
A person or animal in a story.
climax
The most exciting point of a story.
moral
The lesson a story teaches.
sequence
The correct order of events.

Summary

  • "How Ananse Got the Wisdom Pot" has five scenes.
  • Folktales have characters, setting, problem, climax and resolution.
  • The story teaches humility, sharing and learning from others.
  • Retell folktales in sequence with voices and actions.

Class activity: Storytelling Night

  1. Each group retells a five-scene folktale in your Ghanaian language.
  2. Use voices, actions and a song.
  3. The class states the moral after each story.

You need: Ghanaian-language folktale picture book, Character picture cards, Calabash, Kente cloth props

Exercises

Answer in your exercise book first, then check your answers.

  1. 1. Who gave Ananse advice?

    • A. Ntikuma
    • B. Kweku Tsin
    • C. The lion
    • D. The tortoise
    Show answer
    Answer: NtikumaHis son.

  2. 2. Why did the pot break?

    • A. Ananse let go in anger
    • B. The wind blew
    • C. Ntikuma broke it
    • D. It was old
    Show answer
    Answer: Ananse let go in angerHe was angry a child knew better.

  3. 3. The most exciting point of a story is the…

    • A. climax
    • B. title
    • C. setting
    • D. ending only
    Show answer
    Answer: climaxNtikuma's advice.

  4. 4. Folktales are passed down by word of mouth.

    • A. True
    • B. False
    Show answer
    Answer: TrueThey are oral.

  5. 5. The story teaches that one person should keep all wisdom.

    • A. True
    • B. False
    Show answer
    Answer: FalseIt teaches sharing.

  6. 6. The lesson a story teaches is its ______.

    Show answer
    Answer: morale.g. learn from others.

  7. 7. List the five scenes of the story briefly.

    Show answer
    Answer: Ananse collects wisdom; decides to hide it; struggles to climb; Ntikuma advises; pot breaks.In order.

  8. 8. What values does the story teach?

    Show answer
    Answer: Humility, sharing, and willingness to learn from others.Any two or three.

Homework

  1. Ask an elder to tell you a folktale. Retell it in your Ghanaian language in five scenes.