African Folktales

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Folktales about greed

Parchment-style illustration of Ethiopian woman under tree as greedy husband falls, revealing shameful trick.

The Greedy Husband

by Oyebode Ayoola

African Folktales·East African Folktales·Ethiopian Folktales

In the highlands of Ethiopia, where the terraced fields meet the horizon and the air carries the fragrance of roasted grain and burning wood, there once lived a woman with a husband whose greed knew no measure. He was not poor, nor was he in need, but his appetite was boundless. His wife, patient and dutiful, rose each morning to

Tortoise with a cracked shell beside Lizard near a hidden yam cave, from a Ghanaian folktale.

African Folktales·Ghanaian Folktales·West African Folktales

The Tortoise and the Lizard

Once upon a time, in the animal kingdom, there came a season of famine. The rivers ran low, the trees bore little fruit, and the ground seemed too hard to yield crops. Every creature struggled to find something to eat, and hunger was written on the faces of the weakest.

Parchment-style illustration of Kwaku Ananse with pot stuck on head, Ashanti folktale from Ghana.

How Kwaku Ananse Became Bald

In the time before the world grew noisy with machines and cities,

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

Long ago, in the highlands of Tigray where the earth is rocky

a young chief’s son holding a broken wooden bowl as rice spills to the ground, with villagers watching in sorrow

The Chief’s Son and the Magic Rice

African Folktales·Liberian Folktales·West African Folktales

Long ago in the green hills of Liberia, where the Kpelle people tilled the earth and shared the fruits of their labor, there lived a great chief who ruled

Leopard stuck to wooden Nkondi fetish in Congolese folktale with Gazelle nearby.

The Leopard and the Nkondi: A Wooden Fetish | A Congolese Folktale

African Folktales·Central African Folktales·Congolese (DRC) Folktales

In the distant past, when the world was young and the forests of the Congo echoed with the voices of animals, the Leopard and the Gazelle were neighbours. Both

Fox hiding inside elephant as it leaps from a cliff, Tigrean folktale from Eritrea, parchment-style illustration.

Fox and Elephant: A Tigrean Folktale That Teaches Lessons on Greed and Deceit

African Folktales·East African Folktales·Eritrean Folktales

Long ago, in the highlands of Eritrea, where the Tigrean people passed down wisdom through firelit tales, a fox once set out on a journey with an elephant. Before they

Hyena striking a large drum as animals watch in the forest - Gabonese folktale

The Hyena and the Drum

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

Once upon a time, in the deep forests of Gabon where the Mpongwe people told stories under the moonlight, the animals gathered in the great clearing to share news.

Clever fox tricking a lion near a herd of cattle- A Somali Folktale

Why the Fox Lost Everything

African Folktales·East African Folktales·Somalian folktales

Long ago, when animals lived and worked together as if they were people, there was a fox named Deya Ali. She was clever, but her cleverness was filled with

a clever chipmunk leaping between tree branches, with faint stripe patterns beginning to appear on its back, representing the Ghanaian folktale

How the Chipmunk Got Its Stripes

African Folktales·Ghanaian Folktales·West African Folktales

A very long time ago, the Chipmunk looked exactly like the Squirrel. He had no markings on his back and no stripes to set him apart. His fur was

Kweku Ananse holding bananas while Baboon stands beside a banana tree – Ghanaian Folktale

The Tale of Kweku Ananse and the Baboon’s Bananas

African Folktales·Ghanaian Folktales·West African Folktales

Kweku Ananse was known throughout the land as a trickster who always believed his cleverness could outwit anyone. His first name, Kweku, came from being born on a Wednesday,

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