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African animal stories

a tortoise using cleverness to outwit a powerful leopard at a forest feast, inspired by an Ewe folktale from Seva, Volta Region

The Tortoise and the Leopard’s Feast

by Elizabeth Fabowale

African Folktales·Togolese Folktales·West African Folktales

Long ago in the forests of Seva, in the Volta Region, the animals gathered for a great feast. The leopard, known for his strength and fierce presence, had invited everyone to celebrate the season of abundance. The air was thick with the scent of roasted fruits and smoked meat, and the trees trembled under the weight of the feasts laid

Parchment-style illustration of fishing eagle watching bird battle in Nigerian folktale of leadership and wisdom.

African Folktales·Inspired Tales·Nigerian Folktales·West African Folktales

The Election of the King Bird

In the ancient city of Old Town, Calabar, where the mighty Cross River flows toward the Atlantic Ocean and palm trees sway in the humid coastal breeze, there once ruled a king named Essiya. Like many of the great Calabar monarchs of bygone eras, King Essiya possessed immense wealth and

Illustration of elephant king, hare councillor, and lizard’s deceit in a traditional Bemba folktale from Zambia.

Suspicion Spreads: The Elephant, the Hare, and the Rise of Distrust | Bemba Folklore

Long ago, when the world was still young and only animals roamed

Tortoise outsmarts Elephant in a Gabonese forest with a rope trick

The Tortoise Tricks the Elephant

In the forests of Gabon, the Elephant was the mightiest of all

a smiling leopard standing among forest animals under soft sunlight

The Leopard Who Learned to Laugh

African Folktales·Senegalese Folktales·West African Folktales

In the heart of Senegal, where the forest hums with life and the sun filters through a canopy of green, there once lived a leopard named N’Golo. His golden

a Liberian folktale showing a bat hiding inside a cave while angry animals gather outside and birds fly above

Why the Bat Hides in the Day

African Folktales·Liberian Folktales·West African Folktales

Long ago, in the early days when animals and birds still spoke with humans, the world was filled with quarrels. The animals, who roamed the forests, believed they were

Parchment-style illustration of Ugandan king and dwarf watching winged fairy fox fly through moonlit forest canopy.

The Story of the Fairy Foxes

African Folktales·Ugandan Folktales

Long ago in the verdant highlands of Uganda, where rolling hills stretched toward distant horizons and ancient forests whispered secrets to the wind, there ruled a powerful King whose

a hare tricking a lion near a water pool in the Malian savannah Mali folktale

The Cunning Hare and the Mighty Lion

African Folktales·Malian Folktales·West African Folktales

In the sunlit savannahs of Mali, where tall grasses sway like golden waves and animals gather near the watering holes, there lived a lion who ruled with arrogance. He

A crocodile emerging from the river staring at a kite flying above while forest animals watch from the bank – Guinean folktale

The Crocodile and the Kite

African Folktales·Guinean Folktales·West African Folktales

In the wide savannas of Guinea, where the river winds through tall grasses and the sky stretches endlessly, two very different creatures formed an unlikely bond. The crocodile ruled

The tortoise outwitting the elephant in a Benga folktale from Equatorial Guinea.

The Elephant and the Tortoise

African Folktales·Central African Folktales·Equatorial Guinean Folktales

Long ago, in the villages of the Benga people, the animals of the forest lived under the shadow of the mighty elephant. He was strong, towering above all others,

Parchment-style illustration of Shulo the Hare, his wife, and Jongwe the Rooster in a Gabonese village kraal.

The Hare Who Believed the Rooster’s Dream: Gabonese Folktale

African Folktales·Central African Folktales·Gabonese Folktales

Long ago, in the green forests of Gabon where the trees rise tall and the drums of the village echo through the evening air, there lived a restless creature

Deya Ali, the clever fox, standing near a village with a jar of flies and a pile of meat - Somali folktale

How the Clever Fox Fooled the Villagers in Somalia

African Folktales·East African Folktales

Long ago, in a Somali village, there lived a fox named Deya Ali. She was known for her cunning, always looking for ways to trick others and get what

Little bird stands on the head of a blind elephant trapped in a ditch in a Tigray Ethiopian folktale

The Little Bird and the Elephant

African Folktales·East African Folktales·Ethiopian Folktales

Long ago, in the dry lands of Tigray where trees stretch toward the sun and rivers run low in summer, there lived a little bird who had just built

Foolish dog drops meat into a river after mistaking his reflection for another dog in a Tigray Ethiopian folktale

The Greedy Dog Who Lost Everything

African Folktales·East African Folktales·Ethiopian Folktales

Long ago, in the highlands of Tigray where the earth is rocky and the rivers run wide, there lived a dog whose ways were known by everyone. Unlike the

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