African Folk Tales
Animal tricksters, origin stories, kings and talking creatures appear in these selections from African storytelling traditions. The source collections represent particular places and tellers; they do not stand for the whole continent.
Older published versions can also carry a collector’s assumptions. The story notes identify the available source and distinguish its wording or interpretation from the events of the tale.
56 stories are in this collection right now.
Browse by region: Africa.
African Folk Tales
Ages 9-12
The Lion, the Jackal, and the Man
Tired of Lion’s boasting, Jackal promises to show him a creature stronger than any lion, and leads him past a boy and an old man to a hunter.
African Folk Tales
Ages 6-8
The Judgment of Baboon
Itkler the tailor wants justice for his torn clothes, and every creature blames the next, so Baboon orders each to punish the one before.
African Folk Tales
Ages 9-12
The Hunt of Lion and Jackal
Jackal’s arrow brings down an eland, Lion claims the shot, and Jackal lays a false trail of his own blood so he can steal back all the fat.
African Folk Tales
Ages 9-12
Story of Lion and Little Jackal
Little Jackal agrees to hunt with Lion, then carries the eland home to his own children and escapes Lion again and again with quick-witted lies.
African Folk Tales
Ages 9-12
The Dance for Water, or Rabbit’s Triumph
Rabbit refuses to help the animals dance water up from a dry riverbed, drinks it anyway, and is caught by a pitch-covered Tortoise, but not for long.
African Folk Tales
Ages 9-12
Lion’s Share
Jackal yields credit for his own shot to Lion, then keeps the best meat through false trails, false accusations and a dangerous tower trick.
African Folk Tales
Ages 9-12
Lion Who Thought Himself Wiser Than His Mother
After quarrelling with the Only Man, Lion ignores his mother’s warning about the man with pinching weapons and white dogs, and lies in wait at the water.
African Folk Tales
Lion Who Took a Woman’s Shape
A lion kills a young woman gathering herbs and returns home in her skin, but the cows, the milk and a little sister sense something terribly wrong.
African Folk Tales
Ages 9-12
Lion and Jackal
Jackal agrees to share a winter’s hunting with Lion, starves Lion’s family while his own grows fat, then escapes up a cliff with a rope and a hot stone.
African Folk Tales
Ages 9-12
Elephant and Tortoise
After Elephant quarrels with Rain, he leaves little Tortoise guarding the last lagoon, but Lion drinks anyway and Elephant’s punishment backfires.
African Folk Tales
Ages 9-12
Jackal and Monkey
Caught swinging in the Boer’s snare after stealing lambs, Jackal convinces a mocking Monkey that swinging is fun, and Monkey takes his place.
African Folk Tales
Ages 9-12
Crocodile’s Treason
In a drought, Crocodile wins a peace treaty so Lion’s animals will escort the water creatures past the Boer’s farm, but he has planned a betrayal.