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Oyebode Ayoola

Parchment-style illustration of Anansi tricking Ant into carrying a heavy box, Ashanti folktale from Ghana.

Why Ants Carry Bundles as Big as Themselves

by Oyebode Ayoola

African Folktales·Ghanaian Folktales·West African Folktales

Kweku Anansi, the trickster spider of Ashanti tales, was well known for his cunning ways. He and his son, Kweku Tsin, were both skilled farmers who usually enjoyed plentiful harvests. Their farms had always been fruitful, with yams, beans, and maize ripening under their care. But one year misfortune struck. They had sown their seeds as usual, waiting for the

Parchment-style illustration of Bat fleeing into night sky as animals watch angrily, Nigerian folktale explaining his flight.

African Folktales·Nigerian Folktales·West African Folktales

Why the Bat Flies by Night

Long ago, when animals still lived in harmony and often spoke together, there was a great friendship between the Bat and the Squirrel. They were inseparable companions, always seen together in the forest. The Bat, clever and quick-witted, admired the Squirrel’s playful energy, while the Squirrel trusted the Bat’s wisdom

Parchment-style African folktale illustration showing clever Jackal outwitting mighty Lion on a rocky cliff.

The Clever Little Jackal and the Lion

Long ago, when animals lived, spoke, and hunted much like people, there

Parchment-style illustration of sly Jackal tricking angry Lion near cave, African folktale about wit over strength.

The Lion and the Jackal

In the wild and open plains of South Africa, where the sun

Equatorial Guinean folktale of Tortoise tricking Leopard by the river with an egg-like object.

The Deceptions of Tortoise: An Equatorial Guinean Folktale of Greed, Pride, and Consequences

African Folktales·Central African Folktales·Equatorial Guinean Folktales

Long ago, in the deep forests of Equatorial Guinea, where rivers shimmered like polished bronze and the air rang with bird calls, Tortoise (Kudu) and Leopard (Nja) built a

Squirrel mourning from a tree as hunter discovers swollen Adder below in this Equatorial Guinean folktale.

The Quarrel of Squirrel and Adder: An Equatorial Guinean Folktale on Friendship, Pride, and Betrayal

African Folktales·Central African Folktales·Equatorial Guinean Folktales

Long ago, in the heart of Equatorial Guinea’s lush forests, two unlikely companions lived as neighbors and friends, Squirrel, known as Ihendi, and Adder, the serpent Pe. They often visited

Dog loves fire, Squirrel eats bananas, both meeting tragic ends in an Equatorial Guinean folktale.

Dog and Squirrel: The Peril of Excess

African Folktales·Central African Folktales·Equatorial Guinean Folktales

Long ago, in a time when animals lived together as neighbors in one village, peace lasted only briefly. Among them were Mbwa the Dog, Mbala the Squirrel, and Kudu

Igwana tricks a leopard cub in an Equatorial Guinean folktale of betrayal, cunning, and survival.

Igwana’s Forked Tongue: An Equatorial Guinean Folktale of Betrayal and Survival

African Folktales·Central African Folktales·Equatorial Guinean Folktales

Long ago, in a quiet village of Equatorial Guinea, two unlikely friends lived at opposite ends of the settlement, Ngambi the Igwana and Nja the Leopard. Both had large households;

Goat and mother hiding as Leopard attacks Antelope in this Equatorial Guinean folktale of pride and survival.

Why Goats Became Domestic: An Equatorial Guinean Folktale of Pride and Survival

African Folktales·Central African Folktales·Equatorial Guinean Folktales

Long ago, in the forests of Equatorial Guinea, there lived a proud goat named Tomba-Ya-Taba and his mother. Goat often boasted to her of the magic-medicine he possessed, an enchanted

A proud goat challenges rivals in a village contest, traditional Equatorial Guinean folktale of pride and humility.

The Goat’s Tournament: An Equatorial Guinean Folktale of Strength, Pride, and Shame

African Folktales·Central African Folktales·Equatorial Guinean Folktales

Long ago, in the villages of Equatorial Guinea, the animals lived not only by their strength but also by their pride. Among them, none carried more dignity than the

Tortoise tricks Antelope in a race, Gabonese folktale scene with hidden tortoises along the coastal path.

The Race of the Clever Tortoise and the Proud Antelope: Equatorial Guinean Folktale

African Folktales·Central African Folktales·Equatorial Guinean Folktales

Long ago, in the rich forests and coastal plains of Equatorial Guinea, quarrels often arose among animals and men over the question of seniority. Who was the elder? Who

Leopard seeks marriage with a maiden but faces trials from townspeople in this Equatorial Guinean folktale.

The Leopard’s Marriage Journey: An Equatorial Guinean Folktale

African Folktales·Central African Folktales·Equatorial Guinean Folktales

Long ago, when the villages of Equatorial Guinea still pulsed with the rhythm of drums and the forest whispered secrets to those who listened, there lived a Leopard of

Brothers transform into tree, elephant, and sea traveler in an Equatorial Guinean origin folktale.

The Origin of the Elephant People: An Equatorial Guinean Folktale

African Folktales·Central African Folktales·Equatorial Guinean Folktales

Long ago, on the shores of Corisco Bay in Equatorial Guinea, people spoke of a curious mark imprinted on a rock by the sea. It looked like the footprint

Children by a river face a watchful crocodile as villagers observe in this Equatorial Guinean folktale.

Ngando the Crocodile and the Two Children: An Equatorial Guinean Folktale

African Folktales·Central African Folktales·Equatorial Guinean Folktales

Long ago, in the rivers of Equatorial Guinea, two children went down to bathe in the cool, flowing waters. The river wound through the forest like a silver snake,

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