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The Games of the Children of the Wind

Before the white man’s game of cricket reached our villages, our boys already played the games of...

The Smoke of Two Worlds

Long ago, when the grass was tall and the rivers still whispered the names of those who crossed...

The Dance of Ntonjane: When the Daughter of a Chief Defied Custom

Long, Long Ago...Long, long ago, when the voices of the ancestors still whispered through the grass,...

The Dance of Umdudo: A Xhosa Marriage Story

Long, Long Ago…Long, long ago, before iron and ink came to the land, when the drum spoke louder than...

Traditions of the Amaxhosa: STORY OF THE BIRD THAT MADE MILK.

Long, Long Ago…Long, long ago, before iron pots shone in the villages and before the plough sang...

The Treachery of Crocodile: An African Folktale of Water, Lions, and Betrayal

In the days when animals could still speak, Crocodile was the acknowledged foreman of all water...

The Tale of the Bird King: How Tink-Tinkje Outsmarted the Vulture

The birds wanted a king. Men have a king, animals have a king—so why shouldn’t they? All the birds...

The Seven Old Animals and the Robbers' House - African Folk Tale

Once there was a man who had an old dog, so old that the man desired to put him aside. The dog had...

Lion Meets His Match: The Day the King of Beasts Met Man

It so happened one day that Lion and Jackal came together to converse on affairs of land and state....

The Clever Ram and the Cowardly Tiger: A Traditional African Trickster Tale

Tiger (leopard) was returning home from hunting on one occasion when he came upon the kraal of Ram....

The Magical Fiddle: How Monkey Escaped the Gallows - African Folk Tale

Hunger and want forced Monkey one day to forsake his land and seek elsewhere among strangers for...

The Great Ant Council: Why Ants Remain Divided - A Timeless Fable

In the earliest days of the world, when the first rains had settled the dust and the great trees had...

The Origin of the Bushmen: A Traditional African Folk Tale

Long ago, when the world was young and the stars were still learning their places in the sky, there...

Mepoho - The Magic Woman

Mepoho was a Mijikenda diviner of repute.Little is known about her birth but it is claimed that she...

Cierume - The Dancing Warrior

This is the story of Cierume, the dancing warrior from Mbeere who killed men with her dancing...

Mekatilili Wa Menza - Wonder Woman

Thought to have been born in the 1840s, Mekatilili is said to be one of Kenya's earliest freedom...

The Miracle of Mwana Tau: A Kenyan Coastal Legend from Siyu Island

Long ago, in the coastal town of siyu, there lived a woman named Mwana Tau. She was a beloved figure...

10 Common South African Myths and the Scientific Truth Behind Them

South Africa is a land of diverse cultures and traditions, with stories and taboos passed down...

10 Common Nigerian Myths and the Scientific Truth Behind Them

Nigeria is a country with diverse ethnic groups and rich traditions. Along with this cultural...

10 Common Ghanaian Myths and the Scientific Truth Behind Them

Ghanaian culture is rich with myths and taboos that have been passed down for generations. While...

The Physician's Son and the Snake King's Wisdom Synopsis

Once there was a very learned physician who died leaving his wife with a little baby boy, whom, when...

The Magic Student - How Cleverness Defeated Evil

There was once a sultan who had three little sons, and no one seemed to be able to teach them...

The Grateful Animals and the Ungrateful Man

Long, long ago there lived, in a village called Keejeejee, a woman whose husband died, leaving her...

The Great War Between Kites and Crows

One day, Koongooroo, sultan of the crows, sent a letter to Mwayway, sultan of the kites, containing...

The Philosophical Animals - A Tale of Wit and Wisdom

Once upon a time, Simba the lion, Feesee the hyena, and Keeteetee the rabbit made up their minds to...

The Hare's Honey Heist - How Cunning Beats Strength

One day, Soongoora the hare was roaming through the forest in search of food when he glanced up...

The Clever Monkey Who Outwitted a Shark

The Monkey, the Shark, and the Washerman's DonkeyOnce upon a time, Keema the monkey and Papa the...

The Legend of Mkaah Jeechonee and the Noondah: A Traditional African FolkTale

Sultan Maajnoon had seven sons and a large cat, all of whom he was very proud. Everything went well...

The Clever Adventures of Mafani: A Traditional African FolkTale

Once upon a time, there lived a boy whose name was Mafani.One day, Mafani came to his grandmother...

The Turtle's Clever Whetstone Trick: A Folk Tale of Wit and Deception

Mrs. Turtle one day heard of a dance which was to take place in a neighboring town. She was very...

The Cunning Turtle and the King's Forbidden Fruit: An African Folk Tale

A great and wonderful tree, laden with luscious fruit, stood in a clearing in the jungle. In its...

The Woman Who Followed the Dead

Once upon a time, there was a country whose people loved to dance the Wongko. People from other...

The Clever Hunter's Debt: An African Folktale of Wit, Predators, and Survival

Many years ago there was a Calabar hunter called Effiong who lived in the bush, killed plenty of...

The Woman Made of Oil: An African Folktale of Beauty, Jealousy, and Resurrection

The Woman Made of OilThere was once a very fat woman who was made of oil. She was very beautiful,...

The Leopard's Famine: An African Folktale of Survival, Sacrifice, and Betrayal

Many years ago there was a great famine throughout the land, and all the people were starving. The...

The Quest for Heavenly Fire: An African Folktale of Teamwork and Divine Challenges

Nzambi-on-Earth had a beautiful daughter, but she swore that no earthly being should marry her...

The Princess and the Deceitful Slave: An African Folktale of Innocence and Betrayal

Nzambi had a most beautiful daughter, and she took the greatest care of her. As the child grew up,...

The Clever Rabbit and the Hardworking Antelope

It was during an almost rainless hot season, when all who had no wells were beginning to feel the...

The Elephant, Rain, and Little Tortoise

Two powers, Elephant and Rain, had a dispute. Elephant said, "If you say that you nourish me, in...

The Woman and the Lion

Some Women, it is said, went out to seek roots and herbs and other wild food. On their way home they...

The Hare and the Inkalimeva

Once upon a time the animals made a kraal and put some fat in it. They agreed that one of their...

The Rabbit and the Water Dance

There was a frightful drought. The rivers after a while dried up and even the springs gave no...

The Crafty Jackal and the Water Hole

There was a great drought in the land, and Lion called together a number of animals so that they...

The Crocodile's Treachery

In the days when animals could still converse as easily as humans do today, Crocodile was the...

The Seven Old Animals: African Folktale

Once there lived a man who owned an old dog, so aged and weary that the man desired to cast him...

The Monkey and the Magic Fiddle

Hunger and want forced Monkey one day to forsake his homeland and seek work elsewhere among...

WHY TIGERS NEVER ATTACK MEN UNLESS THEY ARE PROVOKED

A man, hunting one day in the forest, met a tiger. At first each was afraid of the other; but after...

THE UNGRATEFUL MAN

A hunter, who was terribly poor, was one day walking through the forest in search of food. Coming to...

The Greedy Spider's Folly: How Selfishness Cost Him an Elephant

In the olden times there stood in the King's town a very great tree. This tree was so huge that it...

KING CHAMELEON AND THE ANIMALS

In the olden days all the animals of the world lived together in friendship. They had no one to rule...

The Magical Mischief-Maker: How Quarcoo Bah-boni Scattered the Animal Kingdom

Once upon a time in a certain village lived a man and his wife who were childless. One day, however,...

WHY THE LEOPARD CAN ONLY CATCH PREY ON ITS LEFT SIDE

At one time leopards did not know how to catch animals for food. Knowing that the cat as very...

Why Leopards Live in the Woods

A ram once decided to make a clearing in the woods and build himself a house. A leopard who lived...

THE ROBBER AND THE OLD MAN

In a big town lived a very rich gentleman. The fame of his wealth soon spread. A clever thief heard...

MAKU MAWU AND MAKU FIA

‘I will die God’s death’ and ‘I will die the King’s death’Once upon a time there were two men who...

THE LION AND THE WOLF

A certain old lady had a very fine flock of sheep. She had fed and cared for them so well that they...

KWOFI AND THE GODS

Kwofi was the eldest son of a farmer who had two wives. Kwofi’s mother had no other children.When...

THE TAIL OF THE PRINCESS ELEPHANT

There once lived a woman who had three sons. These sons were very much attached to their mother and...

THE HUNTER AND THE TORTOISE

A village hunter had one day gone farther afield than usual. Coming to a part of the forest with...

HOW THE TORTOISE GOT ITS SHELL

A few hundred years ago, the chief Mauri (God) determined to have a splendid yam festival. He...

OHIA AND THE THIEVING DEER

There once lived upon the earth a poor man called Ohia, whose wife was named Awirehu. This...

WHY THE MOON AND THE STARS RECEIVE THEIR LIGHT FROM THE SUN

Once upon a time there was great scarcity of food in the land. Father Anansi and his son, Kweku...

The Tale of the Confused Akim-Man and the Mysterious Mr. Minū

It happened one day that a poor Akim-man had to travel from his own little village to Accra—one of...

HOW BEASTS AND SERPENTS FIRST CAME INTO THE WORLD

The famine had lasted nearly three years. Kweku Tsin, being very hungry, looked daily in the forest...

WHY THE SEA-TURTLE WHEN CAUGHT BEATS ITS BREAST WITH ITS FORE-LEGS

Many centuries ago, the people of this earth were much troubled by floods. The sea used at times to...

MORNING SUNRISE

A man in one of the villages had a very beautiful daughter. She was so lovely that people called her...

THE GRINDING STONE THAT GROUND FLOUR BY ITSELF

There had been another great famine throughout the land. The villagers looked thin and pale for lack...

ADZANUMEE AND HER MOTHER

There once lived a woman who had one great desire. She longed to have a daughter—but alas! she was...

ANANSI THE BLIND FISHERMAN

Anansi, in his old age, became a fisherman. Very soon after that his sight began to fail. Finally,...

WHY SPIDERS ARE ALWAYS FOUND IN THE CORNERS OF CEILINGS

Egya Anansi was a very skilful farmer. He, with his wife and son, set to work one year to prepare a...

WHY WE SEE ANTS CARRYING BUNDLES AS BIG AS THEMSELVES

Kweku Anansi and Kweku Tsin—his son—were both very clever farmers. Generally, they succeeded in...

THE SQUIRREL AND THE SPIDER

A hard-working squirrel had, after much labour, succeeded in cultivating a very fine farm. Being a...

WHY ANTS ALWAYS HARM MAN’S PROPERTY

There came once such a terrible famine in the land that a grain of corn was worth far more than its...

TIT FOR TAT: West African Folklore

There had been a great famine in the land for many months. Meat had become so scarce that only the...

WHY THE LIZARD CONTINUALLY MOVES HIS HEAD UP AND DOWN

In a town not very far from Anansi’s home lived a great king. This king had three beautiful...

Thunder and Anansi: The Epic Tale of the Sky God's Challenge

There had been a long and severe famine in the land where Anansi lived. He had been quite unable to...

ANANSI AND NOTHING

Near Anansi’s miserable little hut, there was a fine palace where lived a very rich man called...

HOW WE GOT THE NAME SPIDER TALES, Anansi Tales

In the olden days, all the stories which men told were stories of Nyankupon, the chief of the gods....

Haamdaa′nee: An African Tale of Loyalty, Transformation and Gratitude

Once there was a very poor man, named Haamdaa′nee, who begged from door to door for his living,...

The Chain of Blame: Finding Justice for Teacher Goso

Have you ever wondered how far a chain of cause and effect might stretch? How one seemingly small...

The Trickster's Ultimate Challenge: Jackal, Wolf, and Leopard

Have you ever wondered how far a clever mind can go to escape seemingly impossible situations? What...

The Sparrow and the Parrot: Ancient Wisdom on Value and Contribution

Once upon a time, in a small village surrounded by lush forests and flowing streams, lived a man who...

The Strange Little Sun: An African Tale

A Mysterious Beginning“The Sun was a strange little child,” said Outa. “He never had any Pap-pa or...

The Clever Jackal and the Pigs: An African Tale

A Troubling MorningThe pigs had been very troublesome all morning, almost destroying the gate of the...

The Cunning Jakhals and the King of Beasts: An African Tale

One day in the early morning, before any people were awake, Jakhals was prowling around, looking for...

The Origins of Dawn: Why the Cock Crows for the Sun Each Morning

In the beginning, the sun was the property of the cock. The god once asked the cock to give him the...

The Betrayal of Trust: How the Snake and Rat Became Eternal Enemies

Once upon a time, the snake and the rat were very good friends. The snake was richer than the rat....

How Death Came to the World: The Tale of God's Delayed Message

African creation myth illustration depicting three key moments in a traditional storytelling format....

The Witch's Deception: How Itu's Shapeshifter Defeated King Mbotu of Calabar

Mbotu was a very famous king of Old Town, Calabar. He was frequently at war, and was always...

The Fatal Love: A Calabar Tale of the Queen and the Market Boy

Ituen was a young man of Calabar. He was the only child of his parents, and they were extremely fond...

The Skull's Deception: A Calabar Tale of Beauty and Disobedience

Effiong Edem was a native of Cobham Town. He had a very fine daughter, whose name was Afiong. All...

The Man, His Son, and Their Donkey: A Tale of Pleasing Everyone

A man and his son were once going with their donkey to market. As they were walking along by his...

The Apprentice Thief: How a Boy Outwitted His Uncle - A Middle Eastern Folk Tale

Once upon a time, in a small village, there lived a young boy with his mother. His father had passed...

The Ghoul's Bread Box: A Tale of Loss and Redemption

Once upon a time, in a small village on the edge of a dark forest, there lived a poor family – a...

The Brothers' Tale: Sacred Salt and the Ghoul's Defeat - A Middle Eastern Folktale

Once upon a time, in a far-off land, there lived two brothers who were both married. Times were...

The Dog's Loyal Sacrifice: How the Tortoise Got its Shell Pattern

Once upon a time, all animals were living together in unity. They were eating whatever they can find...

The Creation Myth of Doondari: How the Universe and Man Were Made

At the beginning there was a huge drop of milk. Then Doondari came and he created the stone. Then...

The Magic Stone Escape: How Ananse the Spider Saved Goat from Tiger - West African Folk Story

Tiger, Ananse, and Goat shared a house together, but Tiger wanted the whole house for himself. "I'm...

The Contest of Strength: How Ananse the Spider Tricked Tiger and Deer - West African Folk Tale

Ananse and Tiger wanted to see whose hand was strongest. Ananse hid a hammer up his sleeve and hit...

The Suspicious Spider: How Ananse Outsmarted Tiger's Death Plot

Tiger wanted to kill Ananse. "Tell him I'm dead," Tiger said to Mrs. Tiger. "I'll lie here and wait...

Why Spiders Hide in Debris: The Dark Tale of Ananse's Rooftop Escape - West African Origin Story

Ananse and his family were on the rooftop, hiding from Tiger. One of Anansi's children complained,...

Why Spiders Live on Roofs: The Tale of How Ananse's Final Trick Changed Spider History - West African Origin Story

Tiger and Ananse went to the river. "Wash your guts!" Ananse told Tiger. Tiger took out his guts and...

The Bone Hole Ghost: How Ananse's Family Outsmarted Tiger for His Stew - West African Spider Tale

Tiger had a big pot of stew-meat, and he had a bone-hole where he threw the bones. Ananse and his...

The Night of Stolen Eggs: How Ananse the Spider Tricked Firefly and Tiger - West African Folktale

Firefly and Ananse were gathering eggs at night. "Little eggs for you," said Ananse. "Big eggs for...

The Wedding Revenge: How Ananse the Spider Ruined Tiger's Big Day - West African Folk Story

Tiger didn't invite Ananse to his wedding. Ananse was mad, so he put cow-itch plant inside Tiger's...

The Fish Coffin Trick: How Ananse the Spider's Revenge Led to Tiger's Downfall - West African Trickster Tale

To hide his fish from Tiger, Ananse put them in a coffin.Tiger saw Ananse with the coffin. "I'll...

The Clever Revenge: How Ananse the Spider Tricked the Fish-Stealing Tiger - Traditional West African Story

Ananse was carrying a basket of fish when he met Tiger. Tiger grabbed the basket and ate the fish....

he Mango Tree Trick: How Ananse the Spider Deceived Tiger - Classic West African Folktale

Tiger had a mango-tree, and Ananse wanted some of Tiger's mangoes. "Will you give me some mangoes?"...

The Tale of Ananse and Tiger's Missing Fish: A West African Trickster Story

Ananse and Tiger went fishing. When they caught a fish, Tiger grabbed it. "This one's mine!" he...

Ananse in the Gourd

Tiger was chasing Ananse. Ananse needed to hide, so he hid inside Tiger's water-gourd. Tiger didn't...

Ananse and the Tar-Stump

Someone was stealing Tiger's peanuts, so Tiger made a trap. He tarred a stump and put a hat on it....

Why the Bat flies at Night

Once upon a time, in the distant past, there was a great war between the animals who live in the sky...