Eyamba I. of Calabar was a very powerful king. He fought and conquered all the surrounding countries, killing all the old men and women, but the able-bodied men and girls he caught and brought back as slaves, and they worked on the farms until they died. This king had two hundred wives, but none of…
Category: Africa
THE LIONESS AND THE OSTRICH (South-African Folk-Tales, 1910) by James A. Honey
It is said, once a lioness roared, and the ostrich also roared. The lioness went toward the place where the ostrich was. They met. The lioness said to the ostrich, “Please to roar.” The ostrich roared. Then the lioness roared. The voices were equal. The lioness said to the ostrich, “You are my match.” Then…
THE TIGER, THE RAM, AND THE JACKAL (South-African Folk-Tales, 1910) by James A. Honey
Tiger (leopard) was returning home from hunting on one occasion, when he lighted on the kraal of Ram. Now, Tiger had never seen Ram before, and accordingly, approaching submissively, he said, “Good day, friend! What may your name be?” The other in his gruff voice, and striking his breast with his forefoot, said, “I am…
Ituen and the King’s Wife (FOLK STORIES FROM SOUTHERN NIGERIA WEST AFRICA, 1910) BY ELPHINSTONE DAYRELL
Ituen was a young man of Calabar. He was the only child of his parents, and they were extremely fond of him, as he was of fine proportions and very good to look upon. They were poor people, and when Ituen grew up and became a man, he had very little money indeed, in fact…
STORY OF LION AND LITTLE JACKAL (South-African Folk-Tales, 1910) by James A. Honey
Little Jackal one day went out hunting, when he met Lion. Lion proposed that they should hunt together, on condition that if a small antelope was killed it was to be Little Jackal’s, and if a large one was killed it was to be Lion’s. Little Jackal agreed to this. The first animal killed was…
THE HUNT OF LION AND JACKAL (South-African Folk-Tales, 1910) by James A. Honey
Lion and Jackal, it is said, were one day lying in wait for Eland. Lion shot (with a bow) and missed, but Jackal hit and sang out, “Hah! hah!” Lion said, “No, you did not shoot anything. It was I who hit.” Jackal answered, “Yea, my father, thou hast hit.” Then they went home in…