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Illustration of greedy old couple turning into monkeys on a tree, from a Zambian folktale.

How the Monkeys Came to Be: A Zambian Folktale

by Ayomide Adekilekun

African Folktales·Southern African Folktales·Zambian Folktales

Long ago, in the heart of the African wilderness, there lay a quiet glade where a humble tribe had built their huts. The people lived in harmony with nature and with one another, sharing food, laughter, and the struggles of daily life. Among them lived a frail old man and his equally gaunt wife. They were always complaining of hunger

Young Kimbundu hunter finds a talking skull under a baobab tree, Angola folktale in parchment style.

African Folktales·Angolan Folktales·Southern African Folktales

Ngunza Kilundu and the Lord of the Dead: An Angolan Folktale That Teaches Lessons on Death, Vanity, and Legacy

Long ago, in the lands of the Kimbundu people of Angola, there lived two brothers, Ngunza Kilundu kia Ngunza and his younger sibling Maka. The bond between them was deep, like the roots of a great baobab tree. But fate intervened when Ngunza traveled to the bustling town of Loanda. There,

Ngana Samba carries her children across a river, escaping the Ma-kishi in a Kimbundu Angolan folktale.

Ngana Samba and the Ma-Kishi: A Kimbundu Folktale of Courage, Motherhood, and Escape.

long ago, during the dry season, the people of a village gathered

Nsenga tale: hare, goat, dog and python at the totem tree, Eastern Zambia.

The Hare Who Slew the Python: A Nsenga Folktale (Zambia)

In a village ringed by bush and shadow, a monstrous python had

Dog beaten during hunt as Lizard watches from tree, illustrating honesty and trust in Angolan folktale.

How Dog and Lizard Tested Truth: An Angolan Folktale that Teaches Lessons on Honesty and Trust

African Folktales·Angolan Folktales·Southern African Folktales

Long ago, in the villages of the Kimbundu people of Angola, there lived two unlikely friends, Dog and Lizard. Though they were very different in nature, one always roaming with

Fox attacks Cock by the neck in this Kimbundu Angolan folktale about trust, betrayal, and false friendship.

Trust and Betrayal Between the Cock and the Fox: An Angolan Folktale that Teaches Lessons on False Friendship

African Folktales·Angolan Folktales·Southern African Folktales

In the old days, when animals walked the earth like neighbors and friends, there was Cock, proud yet trusting, and Fox, sly and restless. The two had grown close, often

Leopard beating drum while Deer reveals truth, animals scatter, traditional Kimbundu folktale from Angola.

Leopard and the Other Animals | An Angolan Folktale

African Folktales·Angolan Folktales·Southern African Folktales

Long ago, in the sunlit forests of Angola, Leopard lived as king among the beasts. One day, hunger gripped him fiercely, and his stomach growled with emptiness. Restless and

Leopard sneaks with a pot, Monkey tips it playfully, Antelope rests peacefully in Angolan folktale.

Leopard, Antelope, and Monkey | An Angolan Folktale

African Folktales·Angolan Folktales·Southern African Folktales

Long ago, in the traditions of the Kimbundu people of Angola, there lived Mr. Leopard, a creature both sly and calculating. With him walked two of his younger kin,

Hunter holding deer’s hide as Deer escapes, Kimbundu folktale, Angola.

Dinianga dia Ngombe and Deer | A Kimbundu Folktale, Angola.

African Folktales·Angolan Folktales·Southern African Folktales

Dinianga dia Ngombe rose one morning, took up his gun, and declared firmly, “I will go hunting today.” With steady steps, he journeyed into the bush, the forest alive

Hunter spares Deer for one night under the mudia-mbambi tree in this Kimbundu folktale

The Child of Hunter and the Child of Deer | A Kimbundu Folktale

African Folktales·Angolan Folktales·Southern African Folktales

In the days when the forest was both home and test, two families welcomed new life. The wife of Hunter gave birth to a child, and far away, the

Hare tricks Leopard back into tree while Nianga prepares to act in this Kimbundu folktale.

Nianga dia Ngenga and Leopard: An Angolan Folktale

African Folktales·Angolan Folktales·Southern African Folktales

Nianga dia Ngenga rose early one morning, took up his gun, and declared with determination, “I will go a-hunting.” With steady steps he walked into the vast Angolan bush.

Villagers throw Turtle into river, but he escapes happily in this Kimbundu folktale.

The Man and the Turtle: An Angolan Folktale

African Folktales·Angolan Folktales·Southern African Folktales

Long ago, in the land of Koka, a Turtle found himself caught in a struggle between wit and danger. A man from Lubi la Suku went into the bush

Blacksmith binds Blackbirds under Dove’s guidance in this Kimbundu folktale from Angola.

The Blacksmith and the Blackbirds: A Kimbundu Folktale

African Folktales·Angolan Folktales·Southern African Folktales

Once upon a time, in a village where work and trade kept life turning, there lived a Blacksmith who prided himself on the strength of his hoes. With patient

A young bride pounds grain as a bird sings names of her brothers-in-law, Kimbundu folktale.

A Bride and Her Brothers-in-Law: A Kimbundu Folktale

African Folktales·Angolan Folktales·Southern African Folktales

Once upon a time, a young man lived with his four brothers. He was the fifth among them, and one day he saw a young woman who pleased him.

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