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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

Parchment-style African folktale illustration showing driver ants defeating worms in battle, forcing worms underground.

Why the Worms Live Underneath the Ground

African Folktales·Nigerian Folktales·West African Folktales

Long ago, in the reign of King Eyo III, harmony and rivalry walked side by side in the land of men and animals. King Eyo, wise and respected, ruled

Parchment-style West African folktale illustration showing Crocodile plotting treachery while Lion, Jackal, and Elephant observe near the riverbank.

Crocodile’s Treason

African Folktales·South African Folktales·Southern African Folktales

Long ago, when animals still spoke and lived much like humans, Crocodile held a position of authority over all water creatures. He was the undisputed foreman of the rivers,

Parchment-style African folktale illustration showing a lioness and ostrich facing each other in the savannah, highlighting strength and rivalry.

The Lioness and the Ostrich

African Folktales·South African Folktales·Southern African Folktales

Long ago, in the open plains of Africa, when animals spoke and tested one another’s strength, there lived a mighty lioness. She was feared across the land for her

Parchment-style illustration of Lion pulling Jackal from eland carcass, African folktale with sly trickery and savannah setting.

The Hunt of Lion and Jackal

African Folktales·South African Folktales·Southern African Folktales

Long ago, when the great animals still roamed the plains in friendship and rivalry, the Lion and the Jackal once set out together to hunt an eland, the mighty

Parchment-style illustration of a fat woman melting under the sun beside her thin husband, African folktale scene.

Of the Fat Woman Who Melted Away

African Folktales·Nigerian Folktales·West African Folktales

Long ago, in a quiet village surrounded by rolling fields and tall palm trees, there lived a husband and wife who could not have been more different in appearance.

Parchment-style illustration of lightning and thunder in the sky, African folktale scene with storm clouds and fire.

The Story of Lightning and Thunder

African Folktales·Nigerian Folktales·West African Folktales

Long ago, in the days when the earth was still fresh and the animals and spirits lived closer to humankind, there were two powerful beings who walked among the

Parchment-style illustration of Efiong the cat deceiving and attacking rats, Nigerian folktale showing origins of their enmity.

Why the Cat Kills Rats

African Folktales·Nigerian Folktales·West African Folktales

Long ago, in a small village where animals lived and behaved much like people, there was a cat named Efiong. Unlike the sleek, well-fed cats we know today, Efiong

Parchment-style illustration of cows in a market surrounded by angry flies, African folktale explaining their endless nuisance.

Why the Flies Bother the Cows

African Folktales·Nigerian Folktales·West African Folktales

Long ago, in the days when animals could still speak and reason like humans, the cows of the land gathered for an important meeting. It was no ordinary gathering,

Parchment-style illustration of Kwaku Ananse with pot stuck on head, Ashanti folktale from Ghana.

How Kwaku Ananse Became Bald

African Folktales·Ghanaian Folktales·West African Folktales

In the time before the world grew noisy with machines and cities, when stories were passed from mouth to ear under moonlit skies, there lived the cunning spider-man, Kwaku

Parchment-style illustration of Mouse freeing trapped Lion from hunters’ net, Ghana folktale with moral lesson.

How the Lion Rewarded the Mouse’s Kindness

African Folktales·Ghanaian Folktales·West African Folktales

Long ago, in the golden heart of the African savannah, where the sun painted the tall grasses in shimmering hues of bronze and the wind carried the scent of

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