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African trickster stories

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

Ananse discovering a glowing magical pot of wisdom in a dry, barren forest -African folktales

African Folktales·Ghanaian Folktales·West African Folktales

Kwaku Ananse and the Pot of Wisdom An Ashanti Folktale

There was once a time when famine swept across the land. The rains had failed, leaving the soil cracked and dry, and soon after, clouds of locusts descended, devouring every leaf and stem until even the thick forests looked bare and lifeless. Rivers shrank and trickled weakly, and hunger gnawed

Parchment-style illustration of a sly jackal tricking an ostrich into dancing wildly under desert moonlight, with African motifs and a starry Kalahari sky in aged storybook style.

The Trickster Jackal and the Ostrich’s Dance

Listen, children of the red earth, gather close around the flickering

A mischievous monkey trapped in a hunter’s net while villagers and animals watch with concern - Ivorian folktale

The Trickster Monkey of the Dan People

Among the Dan people of Côte d’Ivoire there is a story often

Parchment-style illustration of Cape Verdean hare singing to boy beneath fig tree, casting spell with sweet melody.

The Enchanting Hare and Fig Tree

African Folktales·Guinea-Bissauan Folktales·West African Folktales

In the lush landscapes of Guinea-Bissau, where the tropical winds carried the scent of rich earth and distant ocean, there lived a hardworking man who tended a beautiful garden

Parchment-style Ethiopian folktale illustration of Hirsi and Kabaalaf stealing butter and ram from the market.

The Two Ethiopian Thieves

African Folktales·East African Folktales·Ethiopian Folktales

In the rolling highlands of ancient Ethiopia, where red earth stretched beneath endless blue skies and small towns dotted the landscape like scattered jewels, there lived two men whose

Parchment-style illustration of Achok’s uncle with fish spines, marabou stork helping, Ethiopian Gambela folktale scene.

Achok Goes Fishing: An Ethiopian Folktale from Gambela

African Folktales·East African Folktales·Ethiopian Folktales

One bright day in the Gambela region of Ethiopia, young Achok walked to the river with a fishing basket in hand. The water shimmered under the sun, flowing gently between

Parchment-style illustration of the hare outsmarting the hyena in seven Senegalese folktales about greed and carelessness.

Seven Senegalese Animal Folktales that Teach Lessons on Greed and carelessness

African Folktales·Senegalese Folktales·West African Folktales

Across the open fields and villages of Senegal, the clever hare and the greedy hyena were well-known figures. The hare, small, quick, and intelligent, approached every task with care

Alt Text: Parchment-style illustration of the hare outsmarting the hyena in six Senegalese folktales about greed and haste.

Six Senegalese Animal Folktales that Teach Lessons on Greed and Haste

African Folktales·Senegalese Folktales·West African Folktales

In the golden plains and quiet villages of Senegal, the hyena and the hare were an odd pair: one large and greedy, the other small and cunning. Time and

Parchment-style illustration of the hare outsmarting the greedy hyena in six Senegalese animal folktales about greed and carelessness

Six Senegalese Animal Folktales that Teach Lessons on Greed and Carelessness

African Folktales·Senegalese Folktales·West African Folktales

In the vibrant villages and open fields of Senegal, the hare and the hyena were a pair as familiar as sun and shadow. One small, clever, and quick; the

Parchment-style illustration of Senegalese hare and hyena, clever tricks and greedy misadventures in forest and village scenes

Six Trickster Tales from Senegal

African Folktales·Senegalese Folktales·West African Folktales

In the old days, when animals walked and spoke like men, the hyena and the hare were uneasy companions. The hyena, strong but foolish, always believed her size would

Parchment-style illustration of Senegalese hare and hyena in savannah adventures, clever and greedy.

Seven Animal Folktales from Senegal that Teaches Lessons on Greed and Carelessness

African Folktales·Senegalese Folktales·West African Folktales

Long ago, in the sun-baked savannahs and bustling villages of Senegal, the hyena and the hare wandered together, an odd pair of friends and rivals. The hyena, large and

A traditional watercolor-style illustration depicts a scene from a Wolof folktale. A clever hare is tied to a wooden stake in a lush bean field, surrounded by climbing vines and tender pods. Two children stand nearby—one offering a bowl of water, the other holding the rope. In the distance, a hyena approaches as the jeweler walks toward the field carrying a glowing iron rod. The background features a rustic hut, a lone tree, and rolling hills under a parchment-toned sky. The only text is “OldFolktales.com” in the top right corner.

Cunning Hare & the Jeweler’s Children

African Folktales·Senegalese Folktales·West African Folktales·Wolof Folktales

In the bustling markets of ancient Senegal, where the sound of hammering gold and silver rang through the air, there lived a skilled jeweler whose reputation for crafting beautiful

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