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African storytelling traditions

Parchment-style illustration of Bat fleeing into night sky as animals watch angrily, Nigerian folktale explaining his flight.

Why the Bat Flies by Night

by Oyebode Ayoola

African Folktales·Nigerian Folktales·West African Folktales

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 and cunning. For a time, their friendship seemed unbreakable. But,

Parchment-style illustration of young woman walking with Skull in disguise, Nigerian folktale with moral warning.

African Folktales·Nigerian Folktales·West African Folktales

The Disobedient Daughter Married a Skull

Once upon a time, in a quiet Nigerian village surrounded by tall palms and red earth paths, there lived a wealthy man with a daughter renowned for her beauty. Her skin glowed like the morning sun, and her eyes sparkled as if the stars had rested in them. Young men

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

Long ago, in the open plains of Africa, when animals spoke and

Parchment-style illustration of jackal, dove on a rock, and heron by river, Khoikhoi African folktale scene.

Jackal, Dove, and Heron

Long ago, in the vast landscapes of Southern Africa, a story unfolded

buffalo and a woman in the Malian savannah at sunset - Mali folktale

The Buffalo Woman of Mali

African Folktales·Malian Folktales·West African Folktales

Long ago in the vast savannah lands of Mali where the grasses bent like waves under the harmattan winds there lived a hunter known for his patience and quiet

White kite, sly fox, and clever raven in a Tigrean folktale from Eritrea, drawn in parchment-style illustration.

Fox, Kite, and Raven: A Tigrean Folktale That Teaches Lessons on Courage and Deception

African Folktales·East African Folktales·Eritrean Folktales

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

swine trying to speak in a Benga folktale from Equatorial Guinea, surrounded by animals in a forest clearing.

Why Swine Lost Their Speech

African Folktales·Central African Folktales·Equatorial Guinean Folktales

Long ago, when the world was young and the forest had not yet settled into silence, animals and people shared one common tongue. Their voices echoed through the villages,

The Slave Girl Who Tried to Kill Her Mistress – OldFolktales.com

The Slave Girl Who Tried to Kill Her Mistress

African Folktales·Nigerian Folktales

Long ago, in a small village in Nigeria, there lived a wealthy woman who purchased a young slave girl to serve in her household. The girl, though outwardly obedient,

Parchment-style illustration of ’Nsasak bird in strong house and Odudu bird in rain, Nigerian folktale.

The ’Nsasak Bird and the Odudu Bird

African Folktales·Nigerian Folktales·West African Folktales

Long ago, when the world was still fresh with stories, two birds were the closest of friends: the ’Nsasak bird and the Odudu bird. They spent their days flying

Parchment-style illustration of weary traveler meeting spirit of the World, African folktale teaching life’s lessons.

The World’s Reward

African Folktales·South African Folktales·Southern African Folktales

Long ago, when the earth was still young and men and animals shared the same spaces, there lived a poor orphan boy. He had no father or mother, no

Parchment-style illustration of sly Jackal tricking angry Lion near cave, African folktale about wit over strength.

The Lion, the Jackal, and the Man

African Folktales·South African Folktales·Southern African Folktales

Long ago, when the earth was young and animals still spoke with the same voice as humankind, there lived a mighty Lion. His mane shimmered golden beneath the sun,

Parchment-style illustration of Bat hiding in branches from angry animals, Nigerian folktale explaining his shame.

Why the Bat is Ashamed to Be Seen in the Daytime

African Folktales·Nigerian Folktales·West African Folktales

Long ago, when animals spoke and shared the earth more openly with humans, the Bat lived comfortably among them. In those days, the Bat was not the shy creature

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