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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

Hare watches lion confront hyena in scorched savanna; Mossi folktale scene with earthy storybook colors.

The Hare and the Lion: A Mossi Folktale That Teaches Lessons on Deception and Justice

African Folktales·Burkinabe Folktales·West African Folktales

One scorching afternoon, a fire swept across the savanna, reaching the den of the lion’s cubs. The lion, furious and determined, promised a buffalo to whoever could identify the

Hare tricks hyena during sacrifice at dawn, Mossi folktale scene with goat, chickens, and mountain backdrop.

The Hare and the Hyena: A Mossi Folktale That Teaches Lessons on Gluttony and Self-Control

African Folktales·Burkinabe Folktales·West African Folktales

One day, the hare’s child fell gravely ill. Desperate to save him, the hare went to consult a diviner, a wise man trusted by the Mossi people to reveal

Hare carries Dog in a basket across Hyena’s field in this Mossi folktale from Burkina Faso.

The Friendship Between Hare and Dog: A Mossi Folktale That Teaches Lessons on Loyalty and False Companionship

African Folktales·Burkinabe Folktales·West African Folktales

Mba-Soamba, the hare, and Mba-Baga, the dog, were once the closest of friends. Their bond was deep, their laughter constant, and their companionship steady. Yet beneath this friendship, Hare carried

Hare dancing in trousers releasing ashes, outsmarting Elephant and Buffalo in Mossi folktale.

Hare and the Bull: A Mossi Folktale That Teaches Lessons on Trickery and Cleverness

African Folktales·Burkinabe Folktales·West African Folktales

One day, the animals of the wilderness received a generous gift: a fine bull. It was agreed that the bull should not belong to just one creature without effort, so

Hare tricks Hyena by stealing millet during famine, Mossi folktale from Burkina Faso.

The Hyena and the Hare: A Mossi Folktale That Teaches Lessons on Cunning and Consequences

African Folktales·Burkinabe Folktales·West African Folktales

Long ago, in the savannas of Burkina Faso, famine swept through the land so harshly that even the strongest trees bent under the cries of the hungry. Families searched

A Mossi folktale scene of a lion bound to a tree by man’s cunning in Burkina Faso.

The Man and the Lion: A Mossi Folktale That Teaches Lessons on Intelligence and Fear of God

African Folktales·Burkinabe Folktales·West African Folktales

Long ago, in the lands of the Mossi people of Burkina Faso, the wild animals of the bush gathered together with restless hearts. They were troubled by a single thought:

Hare tricking the buffalo at the baobab tree, Mossi folktale scene from Burkina Faso in parchment style.

Hare and the Chief’s Daughter: A Mossi Folktale That Teaches Lessons on Cleverness and Deceit

African Folktales·Burkinabe Folktales·West African Folktales

Long ago, among the Mossi people of Burkina Faso, there lived a powerful chief who loved his only daughter dearly. She was known throughout the land for her beauty,

Hare tricks the Village Chief by tying him to a grape tree in this Mossi folktale from Burkina Faso.

The Hare and the Village Chief: An Angolan Folktale That Teaches Lessons on Trickery and Consequences

African Folktales·Burkinabe Folktales·West African Folktales

In the heart of a village, where red earth paths curled between huts and tall trees shaded the courtyards, there stood a grape tree unlike any other. Its fruit was

Illustration of warthog, lion, hare, and hyena in Mossi folktale from Burkina Faso, parchment-style storybook art.

The Warthog and the Lion: A Mossi Folktale That Teaches Lessons on Pride and Strategy

African Folktales·Burkinabe Folktales·West African Folktales

In the vast savannas of Burkina Faso, where red earth stretches beneath a blazing sky and thorny acacia trees cast their shadows, two creatures were locked in a bitter

Hyena outsmarts animals by washing at once to become imam in Mossi folktale, Burkina Faso parchment-style scene.

The Hyena as Imam: A Mossi Folktale That Teaches Lessons on Cleverness and Authority

African Folktales·Burkinabe Folktales·West African Folktales

Long ago, in the wide bushlands of Burkina Faso where acacia trees lean toward the sun and the ponds glimmer under the dry-season sky, the animals of the wild

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