Timeless African folktales retold for a new generation
The River Maiden
In the heart of Yorubaland, where the Oṣun River winds like a silver snake through forests and farms, stood the village of Olódò. The people lived by the river’s gifts. It watered their yam fields, filled their pots with tilapia, and carried canoes laden with palm oil to far-off markets.
The Cannibal Woman
Long ago, in a Somali village, there lived a terrifying woman who
The Man Who Never Lied
Once upon a time in the lands of Kenya, there lived a
The Tale of the Ape and the Gazel: A Tigréan Folktale from Eritrea That Teaches Respect for Nature
Once upon a time, in the rugged valleys and sunlit plains of Eritrea, an ape and a gazel met and began to disparage each other’s way of life. The
The Tale of Hemmaday the Leopard and the Fox: A Tigréan Folktale of Consequence and Ancestry
Hemmaday, the young and ambitious leopard, stalked the golden savanna alongside his cunning companion, the fox. The sun had begun its slow descent, painting the tall grasses with a
The Tale of the Elephant, the Leopard, and His Son: Tigrean Folktale of Misplaced Revenge
In a quiet clearing of the savanna, the leopard had left his young son to play while he hunted elsewhere. Unbeknownst to the little one, a massive elephant wandered
The Clever Wife and Her Husband: A Tigrean Folktale That Teaches Lessons on Ingenuity and Resourcefulness
In a time of famine, when the sun scorched the fields and the land offered little to eat, there lived two neighboring families. One man was wealthy, owning many
Beiho of the People of Old: A Tigrean Folktale That Teaches Lessons on Ingenuity and Cunning
In the time of old, there lived a remarkable being named Beiho, whose origins were shrouded in mystery; some said he was a man, others whispered he was a
Pure-Hearted and Dark-Souled: A Tigrean Folktale That Teaches Lessons on Integrity and Divine Protection
Long ago, along the rugged road from Galab to Asmara, where travelers crossed the sun-baked plains of Tigrai, two men journeyed together. One was called “Light,” known for his pure
The Hen That Found Her Own Doom: A Tigrean Folktale That Teaches Lessons on Fate and Folly
Long ago, in the highlands of Eritrea, among the Tigrean people, there lived a humble family who kept a small flock of chickens. Among them was a lively little
Fox and Elephant: A Tigrean Folktale That Teaches Lessons on Greed and Deceit
Long ago, in the highlands of Eritrea, where the Tigrean people passed down wisdom through firelit tales, a fox once set out on a journey with an elephant. Before they
The Scholar and the Guenon: A Tigrean Folktale That Teaches Lessons on Imitation and Wisdom
Long ago, in the highlands of Eritrea, where the Tigrean people shared their wisdom through tales told by firelight, there lived a scholar who loved his books. He often withdrew
Fox, Kite, and Raven: A Tigrean Folktale That Teaches Lessons on Courage and Deception
Long ago, in the highlands of Eritrea where the Tigrean people tell their stories by the fire, a white kite built her nest high in the branches of a
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