The Wise Judge

In a prosperous Akan kingdom many generations ago, there lived a judge whose wisdom was renowned throughout all of West Africa. His name was Nana Kwaku Ananse, and though he shared his name with the famous trickster spider, this man was known for his honesty, fairness, and extraordinary ability to uncover the truth in even the most complex disputes.

Nana Kwaku Ananse was not born into royalty or wealth. He began life as the son of a humble farmer, but from an early age, he showed an unusual gift for understanding people’s hearts and seeing through deception to find the truth beneath. His parents noticed that whenever children in their village had disputes, they would naturally bring their problems to young Kwaku, trusting his judgment even when he was barely old enough to speak in complete sentences.

As Kwaku grew older, his reputation for fairness spread beyond his village. People would travel from distant communities to seek his counsel on matters ranging from property disputes to family conflicts. Eventually, the great king of the region heard about this remarkable young man and invited him to serve as a judge in the royal court.

“I have heard,” the king said when they first met, “that you possess an unusual gift for finding truth where others see only confusion. But tell me, how can I trust someone so young with matters of great importance?”

Kwaku replied respectfully, “Your Majesty, wisdom does not always come with age, just as age does not always bring wisdom. If you will permit me, I would like to prove my abilities by resolving three disputes that have troubled your court for many months.”

The king, intrigued by the young man’s confidence, agreed to this test. He presented Kwaku with three cases that had frustrated his most experienced advisors.

The first case involved two merchants who each claimed ownership of a valuable horse. Both men had witnesses supporting their claims, and both had documents that appeared authentic. The royal advisors had spent weeks examining the evidence without reaching a conclusion.

Kwaku listened carefully to both men’s stories, then made an unexpected request. “Bring the horse here,” he said, “and let both men call to it from opposite ends of the courtyard.”

When this was done, the horse immediately ran to one of the merchants, nuzzling his hand affectionately. “This man is the true owner,” Kwaku declared. “A horse knows its master’s voice and scent, even when human witnesses might be confused or documents might be forged.”

The second case concerned a woman who claimed that a certain baby was her child, stolen by another woman who now refused to return him. Both women insisted they were the child’s mother, and there seemed to be no way to determine the truth.

Kwaku thought for a moment, then called for a sharp knife. “Since both women claim this child,” he announced, “I will cut him in half and give each woman her share.”

Immediately, one woman cried out in horror, “No! Give the baby to her! I would rather lose my child than see him harmed!” The other woman simply nodded and said, “That seems fair.”

“The child belongs to the woman who would sacrifice her own happiness to protect him,” Kwaku declared. “A true mother’s love puts her child’s welfare above her own desires.”

The third case involved a farmer who accused his neighbor of stealing grain from his storehouse. The accused man denied the theft, and there were no witnesses to support either side of the story.

Kwaku visited both men’s farms and examined their grain stores carefully. Then he made a surprising announcement: “I will return tomorrow at dawn to reveal the truth.”

That night, Kwaku secretly scattered a special powder around the accused man’s grain storage area - a powder that would glow faintly in the early morning light. When dawn came, he led both farmers and a group of witnesses to examine the area.

Sure enough, glowing footprints led from the accused man’s house directly to his neighbor’s storehouse and back again. Faced with this evidence, the guilty farmer confessed to his theft and agreed to make restitution.

The king was so impressed with Kwaku’s wisdom and creativity that he immediately appointed him as the chief judge of the royal court. For many years, people from throughout the region brought their most difficult disputes to Nana Kwaku Ananse, knowing that his judgments would be both fair and final.

One of the most famous cases that came before Judge Kwaku involved a wealthy merchant and a poor widow. The merchant claimed that the widow owed him a large sum of money, which he said her late husband had borrowed to pay for medical treatment during his final illness. The widow insisted that her husband had already repaid the debt before his death, but she had no written proof.

The merchant produced a document that appeared to show the outstanding debt, complete with the dead man’s mark. “This woman is trying to cheat me,” he declared. “She hopes that because she is poor and I am wealthy, the court will favor her out of pity.”

Judge Kwaku studied the document carefully, then asked the widow, “Do you have anything that belonged to your husband that might help us understand this situation?”

The widow brought her husband’s personal effects, including his walking stick, his hat, and a small knife he had used for carving. Kwaku examined each item closely, paying particular attention to the knife.

Then he made an announcement that surprised everyone present: “I need to examine the merchant’s other business documents to understand his usual practices.”

When the merchant’s records were brought to court, Kwaku compared the handwriting and marks on various documents. After careful study, he called both parties back to court.

“I have discovered something very interesting,” Judge Kwaku announced. “The merchant’s claim appears to be false. The mark on the debt document does not match the marks this man made on other papers. Furthermore, the widow’s husband was left-handed, as we can see from the way he carved his walking stick, but the mark on this document was clearly made by a right-handed person.”

The merchant, realizing he had been caught in his deception, confessed that he had forged the document hoping to take advantage of the widow’s inability to read. Judge Kwaku ordered him to pay a fine to the widow as compensation for his attempted fraud.

Word of this judgment spread throughout the kingdom, and Judge Kwaku became even more famous for his ability to protect the innocent and punish those who would take advantage of others.

Perhaps the most challenging case of Judge Kwaku’s career involved a dispute over the succession to a village chieftaincy. When an old chief died, three men claimed the right to succeed him - his eldest son, his brother, and his most trusted advisor. Each man had supporters, and the dispute threatened to tear the village apart.

Judge Kwaku spent days in the village, observing the three candidates and listening to the opinions of the villagers. Then he announced that he would conduct a special test to determine who should be chief.

He called the three men together and presented them with a problem: “A terrible drought has struck a neighboring village, and the people are suffering greatly. As chief, what would you do to help them?”

The first candidate, the chief’s son, said, “I would send some of our surplus grain, but not too much, because we must think of our own people first.”

The second candidate, the chief’s brother, said, “I would organize a collection among our wealthiest families and send whatever they could spare.”

The third candidate, the trusted advisor, thought for a long moment before answering: “I would call together all the people of our village and explain the situation. Then I would ask everyone - rich and poor alike - to contribute whatever they could, even if it was very little. I would also send some of our young men to help with their farming, and I would invite their elders to come and share our next harvest festival, so they would know they are not forgotten.”

Judge Kwaku smiled and declared the advisor to be the rightful chief. “Leadership is not about bloodline or wealth,” he explained. “It is about understanding that a chief’s first duty is to care for all people, not just his own, and to inspire others to show compassion and generosity.”

The wisdom of this judgment was proven over the years that followed, as the new chief led his village to great prosperity while maintaining strong relationships with all the surrounding communities.

Judge Kwaku continued to serve his people for many years, and his methods became a model for judges throughout West Africa. He taught that true justice requires not just knowledge of laws and customs, but also understanding of human nature, creativity in finding solutions, and above all, a genuine commitment to fairness and truth.

When Judge Kwaku finally grew old and retired from his position, the king honored him with the title “Father of Justice” and established a school where young people could learn his methods of wise judgment.

The stories of Nana Kwaku Ananse’s cases were passed down through generations, teaching people that justice is not just about punishment, but about finding truth, protecting the innocent, and helping communities live together in harmony.

To this day, when faced with difficult decisions, people in West Africa will sometimes say, “What would Judge Kwaku do?” as they search for solutions that are both fair and wise.

His legacy reminds us that true wisdom lies not in having all the answers, but in knowing how to ask the right questions, and that the best judgments are those that serve not just the law, but also the cause of truth and the welfare of the community.