Wisdom over strength

Tortoise outsmarts Elephant in a Gabonese forest with a rope trick

The Tortoise Tricks the Elephant

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

In the forests of Gabon, the Elephant was the mightiest of all animals. His tusks gleamed like ivory spears, his great ears flapped like sails, and his footsteps shook the earth. Wherever he walked, the smaller creatures made way, for no one dared to challenge his strength. Among them was Tortoise, small and slow, yet known for his quick mind.

Parchment-style illustration of Half-Boy rescuing brothers from ogre’s cave, Ethiopian folktale of wit and courage.

African Folktales·East African Folktales·Ethiopian Folktales

Half boy and the Seven Brothers

In the rugged mountains of ancient Ethiopia, where cliffs rose like cathedral walls and eagles soared among clouds that brushed the highest peaks, there lived seven brothers in a modest stone dwelling perched on a rocky ledge. Six of these brothers were tall and broad-shouldered, blessed with the kind of