African Folktales

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African wisdom tales

A tall scarecrow standing in a village farm at dusk while villagers watch from a distance – African Folktale

The Scarecrow: An African Folktale of Wisdom and Consequence

by Elizabeth Fabowale

African Folktales·Nigerian Folktales·West African Folktales

Long ago, in a quiet African village surrounded by golden fields of maize, there lived a farmer who was both clever and hardworking. His land was wide, his crops always tall and healthy, and his barns were filled with grain at harvest. Yet, in his heart, the farmer carried a weakness. Though he had plenty, he always wanted more. When

Parchment-style illustration of handsome African porter pushing wooden barrow through busy marketplace.

African Folktales·East African Folktales·Ethiopian Folktales

The Handsome Porter’s Dream

In a bustling marketplace where merchants hawked their wares under the scorching sun and dust swirled around wooden stalls, there lived a young man blessed with extraordinary beauty but cursed with grinding poverty. His face was so handsome that people would stop their conversations just to admire his features, yet

a Sotho girl weaving silver moonlight into a glowing blanket

The Girl Who Wove with Moonlight

Listen, children of the mountains, gather close as the evening mist settles

a proud man walking away while a lion, a snake, and a tree watch him with sadness in a traditional West African village scene – Wolof folktale

The Ungrateful Man

Long ago in the land of the Wolof people of Senegal, there

Tortoise fells giant tree to win Njambo’s daughter Ndenga in Equatorial Guinea folktale of wit and perseverance.

The Suitors of Njambo’s Daughter: Equatorial Guinea Folktale.

African Folktales·Central African Folktales·Equatorial Guinean Folktales

Long ago, in the days when beasts lived apart from mankind yet kept bonds of friendship, there was a man named Njambo who lived in a great town. He

Tortoise paddles with Bojabi fruit as animals await by the great tree in Equatorial Guinea folktale.

Tortoise and the Bojabi Tree: An Equatorial Guinea Folktale

African Folktales·Central African Folktales·Equatorial Guinean Folktales

In the Country of All-the-Beasts, every animal lived together in one vast region, except for Boa Constrictor, who made his home thirty miles away in solitude. In the heart

A frightened child faces glowing forest spirits at night while villagers pray nearby - Gabonese folktales

The Disobedient Child

African Folktales·Central African Folktales·Gabonese Folktales·Mpongwe Folktales

Long ago, in a small Mpongwe village in the heart of Gabon, there lived a boy who was known for his restless spirit. He was lively, playful, and full

A greedy hunter in a Gabonese forest setting too many traps, with a leopard caught and ready to attack - Gabonese folktale

The Greedy Hunter

African Folktales·Central African Folktales·Gabonese Folktales·Mpongwe Folktales

Long ago, in the deep green forests of Gabon, where the tall trees whispered with the wind and the rivers sang their endless songs, there lived a hunter known

Parchment-style drawing of animals choosing food bundles at forge; African folktale about age and wisdom.

How Tortoise Solved the Age Riddle

African Folktales·Cameroonian Folktales

In the days when all the creatures of the forest lived together in harmony and sought the wisdom of those skilled in ancient crafts, there was a great mystery

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