The Tortoise and the Elephant There was a great King who ruled in the village of Gbogan a long long time ago at a time when animals could talk.

The King took very ill for a long period of time and was at the point of death. After several attempts by medicine men from within the kingdom to heal the king failed, “Ikumejakako”, the dreaded herbalist who dwelt in the evil forest was consulted. He examining the king and pronounced that the king would have to take a special brew made of elephant body parts or die within seven days.

The King and his chiefs wondered how they would capture a big and dangerous animal like an elephant. The king after consultation with his chiefs made an announcement throughout the kingdom that anyone who would capture an elephant within seven days would get half of the kingdom and his beautiful daughter as a bride.

The tortoise came forward to accept the challenge. He made a request of the King, that a very deep pit be dug and that the pit should be concealed with raffia and mats and that a throne fit for a king should be set on top of the pit. The tortoise made some “akara” balls (bean cakes) and set out into the forest in search of an elephant. The wandered through the forest making enquiries of his fellow animals until the third day when he stumbled on an elephant resting under a tree…….

Tortoise: Elephant, what are you doing here…haven’t you heard the news?

Elephant: What news? Do not disturb my siesta tortoise, I do not like gossip

Tortoise: I don’t believe my eyes, a whole King, resting in the forest under a shade!!

Elephant: A King, what King?

Tortoise: YOU!! The king is dead and the elders have decided to make you king over the people.

Elephant: (roars with laughter)….you must be a joker tortoise, who would want to make an old ugly elephant like me a king?

Tortoise: There is no time for explanations, preparations are already at an advanced stage in the kingdom for your coronation, we must make haste, see, I have proof (he brought out one of the “akara” balls and handed one over to the elephant) This akara is only a small part of the delicacies being prepared for your coronation.

Elephant: (putting the akara into his mouth) Hmmmmm….this is delicious…really delicious it must be true, lets make haste.

And so the tortoise led the elephant all the way to the village handing out the akara balls to him at intervals and singing popular coronation songs to him all the way.

As the tortoise and the elephant approached the palace, news of the capture of the elephant spread like wild fire, everybody came out of their houses and started following the duo to the palace joyous and joining in tortoise’s songs. This all created an atmosphere of festivities reinforcing the belief in the elephant’s mind that he was to be made king.

Elephant: Your story must be true…the people are really joyous to see me.

Tortoise: You know I wouldn’t lie to you, can’t you see them singing that your reign shall be long?

As the throne finally came into sight, the elephant lumbered into it majestically amidst dancing and singing. He sat on the throne and instantly the ground gave way beneath him and he fell into the pit. The king’s warriors immediately descended upon him with spears and clubs and butchered him. Once the king had taken a sip of the elephant broth

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made for him, he became instantly well and fulfilled his promise towards the tortoise.

Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's EarsIf you live in the rain forest climates of West Africa, you will be very familiar with the buzz of the mosquito in your

ears on hot humid evenings. Even if there’s only one mosquito and only one person in an area as large as a football field, the mosquito always seems to find that person’s ear and buzz in it. If you’ve slapped yourself in the face because of a mosquito, you know what I’m talking about. Here’s the story that explains the mosquito’s attraction to the ear.

A very long time ago when Ear was a beautiful woman and ready for marriage, there were several suitors wooing her. There were big creatures, there were small creatures. There were fast and sleek creatures and there were slow ones. But they all professed their love for Ear and demonstrated their skills – and there was such an impressive array of skills that Ear had a difficult time making a decision. Then along came mosquito.

“I would like you to be my wife”, proposed Mosquito. Ear was so offended by this affront. “Look around you!” she cried. “Of all the people and creatures in the whole

world, what makes you think I can entertain such a thought?” Ear was distressed. “Marry you?!!” she continued. “You will be dead before the week is over. You’re not strong, you’re weak and I will never marry you!”

Ear was exhausted from this tirade and she fell into her seat, fanning herself vigorously like she was trying to get any image of Mosquito out of her head. Meanwhile, Mosquito was really hurt by all that Ear said. It was very embarrassing to be talked to like that in front of all the other creatures who were whispering to each other and giggling. Apparently, they all agreed with Ear. “Dead before the week is over,” thought Mosquito as he slunk away. “We’ll see about that.”

And from that day forward, whenever Mosquito sees Ear, he flies up to her and says “Emi re, mi o ti ku”, which in English means “Here I am, I am not dead.”

But who did Mosquito eventually marry? And how did she get attached to either side of Head? That’s another story I would like to hear.

The Dog Hides His MotherThere was a famine in the animal kingdom. This famine had lasted so long that any existing source of food had been

completely depleted. The animals knew they had to do something real quick or they would all die off one by one. They called a meeting where every animal was in attendance and they determined that they had to do something drastic. It was decided that the mothers would be sacrificed to ensure the continuation of the animal races. They would eat their mothers.

The dog who had been at the meeting decided to hide his mother. He was not going to sacrifice his mother, so he hid her in the sky. Everyday, he would go to a particular spot where he sang a song asking his mother to drop a rope.

Dog would sing:Mother Mother send down your rope

All have killed and eaten their mothersDog has taken his mother to the sky

Mother Mother send down your rope

His mother would drop a rope and the dog would climb to the sky where his mother would have a feast waiting for him. One day as the dog was singing for his mother to drop the rope, the tortoise was passing by and he hid himself to observe what was going on. He heard the song dog was singing, then he saw a rope being dropped from the sky with which the dog climbed to the sky.

The following day, the tortoise went to the same spot and disguising his voice like the dog’s, he sang the song he had heard the dog sing the day before. A rope dropped from the sky and the tortoise began to climb this rope. At this same time, the dog was just approaching the same spot and he saw the tortoise climbing to the sky. The dog immediately started to sing to his mother. This time, he sang that he was not the one climbing the rope and his mother should cut the rope. Dog’s mother got a pair of scissors and cut the rope sending the tortoise crashing to the ground. This caused tortoise shell to break into several pieces. He managed to glue these pieces together but that is how the tortoise ended up with the rough shell we know today.

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The Spider and the Honey Tree (Liberia)There was once a young girl from a village far way who had a special talent for finding the very

best foods in the bush. Her oranges were just a little sweeter, her plums just a little larger, and her bananas had just a little more flavor. Everyone wondered where she located such delicious fruits. But, nobody ever asked the girl. That is, nobody asked her after they heard the story about Spider and this young girl.

One day Spider asked this young girl to help him look for food. He was too lazy to work for himself and was sure he could trick this girl into sharing her secrets. He didn't know how clever this girl could be.

"Little girl, nobody finds fruits as sweet as yours," cooed the spider. "Will you please take me with you when you go looking in the bush?"

"I've never done that before," replied the girl."It would mean so much if you could do it one time," pleaded Spider."Well, I suppose I can do it just once," agreed the girl. "Do you promise to keep my secrets?""You can trust me," promised the lazy spider."What do you like to eat?""Well, I like plums and bananas, of course, but I especially love honey.""I think I can help you," grinned the girl.Spider couldn't believe his luck.The girl led Spider along the path into the bush. She took him down trails into areas where people

rarely ever go. Spider grinned because he knew he was about to learn her secret places for finding the very best food. After learning this, he would never again have to work hard for good food.

"This plum tree," explained the girl, "does not have much fruit so most people ignore it, but its plums are the sweetest ones in the entire bush."

Now Spider was just as greedy as he was lazy. As soon as the young girl showed him the secret plums, his eyes became wide and his mouth began to water. Then, Spider shoved the little girl into the bushes. He rushed past her and climbed up into the tree. Then, he ate every single one of the plums. He didn't even leave one plum for the little girl. And, he didn't even say thank you!

After his feast, Spider rubbed his very full belly and thought, "This is the best day of my life! What a great idea! I can't believe she showed me where her plums are found. I wonder if she will take me to any bananas? She must be very foolish."

Spider looked down at the girl with his biggest smile and she asked politely, "Do you want any of my special bananas?"

He raced down out of the tree before the girl could change her mind.The girl continued down the path showing Spider her secrets of the bush. They walked further

down the trail into areas where people rarely ever go. "Over here is a small patch of the very best

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bananas," declared the young girl. Again, as soon as Spider learned the secret, his eyes became wide and his mouth began to water. Again, he shoved the little girl into the bushes. He rushed past her and climbed the banana plants. He ate every single one of the ripe bananas. Again, he left the young girl with nothing -- not even one banana. And once again, he didn't even say thank you!

His belly was so full, but Spider was not satisfied. He wanted to learn more of the secret places of the bush. He thought to himself, "This girl is really foolish. But, as long as she guides me, I will continue to eat all of her food."

Again, Spider looked down at the little girl and smiled. Once again, the young girl looked up at Spider and politely asked, "Are you too full or would you like to find some honey?"

One more time, Spider rushed out of the tree and followed the girl down the trail before she had a chance to change her mind.

The young girl guided Spider deeper and deeper into the bush where people rarely ever go. "Over here," she instructed, "is a very special tree. Deep inside a small hole is the most delicious honey in the entire bush."

Now this girl was not nearly as foolish as Spider thought. She had a plan to teach this greedy spider a lesson. She remembered that Spider loved honey and was not surprised at all when his eyes became wide and his mouth started to water. She also wasn't surprised when he shoved her into the bushes, ran past her, climbed up the tree, and squeezed into the hole. Again, he ate all of the sweet golden honey, sharing nothing with the young girl. He didn't even share one drop. And once again, he didn't even say thank you.

When Spider had eaten his fill, he tried to climb out of the tree but he couldn't get out the hole. His stomach had grown too large. He was stuck!

"Help me, young girl," cried the spider. "I cannot get out of the tree!""You wouldn't be stuck if you hadn't been so selfish," scolded the girl."I'm sorry for what I did! Please call for help," cried Spider."I am not as foolish as you think. You aren't sorry for what you did. You are only sorry you are

caught in the tree.""No, you're wrong," lied the spider but in his heart he knew she was right. He had enjoyed every

minute, every bite of food, as long as he thought he was tricking the young girl. He never expected his idea to turn into such a problem for him. "Please call for help! I am trapped!"

Finally, a smile crossed over the little girl's face and she said she would do as the spider asked. She cried for help -- as softly as she could, "Help! Help! The foolish spider is caught inside the honey tree. Help! Somebody come and help this greedy spider!" Of course, nobody could hear her whispers for help. And, nobody could hear Spider's cries from deep inside the tree. They were too far into the bush where people rarely ever go.

Finally, the little girl looked up at Spider with a clever grin. "Good bye, Spider, I am going to get some huge oranges for my family. If you want to eat some, just follow me there." She waved to him as she left to go down the trail.

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The Chief Who was No Fool (Liberia)"Help me," the old man begged. "My neighbor has stolen from me."The paramount chief gladly listened. It pleased him that others recognized his wisdom. "What exactly

is the problem?" questioned the chief."My neighbor stole my goats. I'm a poor man, too poor to replace them.""And what do you have to say?" the chief asked the man's neighbor."I don't know what he is talking about," answered the neighbor. "I have many goats but none of them

belong to this man."This would not be an easy problem to settle. The paramount chief would have to rely on his wisdom. It

was the kind of problem he enjoyed the most."I have a test for you," announced the chief. "Whoever passes the test will own the goats. Go home

until you can answer this for me. I want to know what is the fastest thing in the world. Do not return until you have my answer."

The two men left shaking their heads. Who could answer that question?The old man repeated the question to his daughter, Ziah. She was as beautiful as she was wise. Right

away, she whispered the answer that would please the chief. The old man returned to the chief the following morning.

The chief was surprised. "You already have an answer for my question?""Yes," replied the old man, "it was not difficult.""And what is the fastest thing in the world?""Time," answered the old man. "We never have enough of it. It always goes too fast. There is never

enough time to do all that we want to do."The answer amazed the paramount chief. He wasn't sure if he himself could have answered the

question as well. "Who helped you? Who gave you these words?" demanded the chief."They are my own words, my own thoughts," lied the old man. "There is no one else who helped me.""If you are not telling the truth, I will punish you," warned the chief.The old man was too afraid to continue the lie. "It was my daughter, Ziah, who gave me the words," he

confessed. "She is a very wise woman.""She must be!" thought the chief. "I would like to meet this woman."Not long after that the old man presented his daughter Ziah to the paramount chief. If the chief was

amazed with her wisdom, he was captivated by her beauty. "You are indeed a wise and lovely woman. I would be honored to have you as my wife. Will you marry me?"

"The honor is mine," smiled Ziah.Although the chief was pleased, he was also concerned about having such a wise wife. He did not want

her to interfere with the problems brought before him. He didn't want to share this honor with anyone, not even his wife.

"Everything in my house is yours," declared the chief. "I only have one rule for you. You must never involve yourself with the problems brought before me. This is your only warning. If you break this rule, I

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will send you from my house."The chief's new wife only smiled at his command.Things went well for quite some time. The paramount chief continued to hear people's problems while

Ziah kept herself busy without becoming involved. Usually she agreed with his decisions.One day, however, the chief gave one of his puzzles to two boys who argued over a sheep. Ziah knew

she shouldn't help the boy who really owned the sheep, but he was so upset. She finally asked him to explain his problem.

"The chief asked for the impossible," he sighed. "He gave us an egg and said that whoever could hatch the egg by tomorrow would own the sheep."

Ziah knew she shouldn't help but the solution was so obvious. "Take some rice to the chief," she instructed. "Tell him to plant it today so that in the morning you will have rice to feed your chicken. He will know that it is just as impossible to grow rice in one day as it is to hatch an egg that quickly."

The boy ran to the chief with the rice. He said exactly the words he was told. The chief was not impressed; he was angry! "Who told you this? Who gave you the rice?" he ordered. "These words are too wise for one so young."

"They are my own words, my own thoughts," said the boy too afraid to speak the truth. "There is no one else who helped me."

"If you are not speaking the truth, I will punish you," warned the chief."It was Ziah!" cried the boy. "She knew you'd understand the wisdom."The chief, furious his wife had broken his only rule for her, called her before him and scolded, "Didn't

you know all that I have is yours? You have broken the only rule I had for you. Now, go back to your father's home."

"Before I go, may I fix you one final meal?" asked the woman. "Then, I will take what is mine and go.""Yes," answered the chief. "Make whatever you want. Take whatever you want. Just be sure that you

do not remain here tonight!"Ziah prepared the chief's favorite meal. She served it with a generous amount of palm wine. Before

the meal was finished, the chief became very drunk and quietly fell asleep. Ziah's plans worked exactly as she had hoped.

With her family's help, she carried the paramount chief to her father's home. They placed him on a bed and he slept soundly through the night. In the morning the chief's voice boomed throughout the house. "Where am I? What am I doing here?" he demanded.

Ziah entered the room and grinned. "You said I could take whatever I wanted from your house. I wanted you and so I took you."

"You are certainly a wise woman," smiled the chief. "Come return with me to our home. Only a fool would send away such a woman."

"And you, my chief, are no fool," whispered the clever wife.

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A Tale of Two Brothers (South Africa)"Stay away from those pots," warned the older brother. "Don't touch them.""What are you talking about?" demanded the younger brother."Something about them bothers me. Why are they all upside down? I have the feeling that there is

something magical about them," explained the older brother. "We would do best to leave them alone and get out of here."

"Look, brother, you may be older but I think I'm wiser. Here we've been out hunting all morning and have not seen any game or anything else of interest. Now finally we come across these pots, and you say I shouldn't touch them. They might be magical. Well, I personally could use a little magical excitement in my day."

The younger brother ran over to the row of pots. Slowly he turned the first one back up the right way and peered inside. Safely away at a distance, the older brother called out, "What do you see?"

"Absolutely nothing!" laughed the younger brother. "There is nothing in the pot. Now come on over here and help me check out the other ones."

The older brother held his ground, refusing to get any closer."Nothing under the second pot either!" the younger brother called out. "Come on, big brother, help me

explore this mystery."Still, the older brother stood his ground. So, the younger brother continued to turn the pots the right way

up. One by one he explored the containers. And one by one he found nothing under them. But as he finally turned the last pot over, the younger brother let out a shout. Inside the pot, much to his surprise, was a little old woman.

She crawled out of the pot without saying a word to the little brother. In fact, she ignored him completely, turning her gaze upon the older brother instead. She raised a wrinkled finger up to his nose and laughed, "Why are you standing there like someone who has seen a ghost? I'm just an old woman, and I cannot possibly hurt you. Now, if you will just follow me, I'll show you something that is really worth getting your attention."

But, the brother wouldn't move from where he stood. He was so frightened that he could not so much as take one step in her direction. "Foolish boy!" cackled the old woman. "Well, it is your loss." She turned to finally address the younger brother. "Are you a coward as your brother, or are you up for some adventure?"

The younger brother didn't need a second invitation. He was ready for any adventure this old woman was prepared to show him. Following the woman deep in the bush where people rarely ever go, the old woman directed the boy to a very large tree. "Here's your adventure, boy. Take the axe and cut down this tree."

"But we're in the middle of nowhere, old woman," declared the boy. "What can we possibly do with the tree after it is cut down?"

"Are you going to stand there arguing with me, or are you going to take part in the adventure that I have in mind for you?" asked the old woman.

Still not sure why he was doing it, the young brother took the axe from the old woman. And to his great amazement, as soon as the first stroke of the axe hit the trunk, a strong bull stepped out of the tree. In fact, after each stroke of the axe, some kind of animal stepped out. Before the tree was finally cut down, a large herd of bulls, cows, sheep, and goats surrounded the younger brother.

"These herds are for you," instructed the old woman. "Thank you for humoring me today. Now be on your way and drive them back to your home before it gets too late."

For the first time in a long time, the younger brother was almost at a loss for words. However, he finally remembered his manners and thanked the old woman for her generous gift. As he left her in the bush, he shook his head and mumbled to himself, "Nobody is ever going to believe this story." He still didn't quite believe it himself when he finally made his way back to where his older brother waited for him. "Just look at

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all the herds that old woman gave me!" exclaimed the younger brother. "Now, don't you wish you had been brave enough to go with her when she asked?"

The younger brother explained what happened in the bush as the two drove the animals towards home. It was a long hike. And, in the heat of the afternoon sun, both the boys and the animals were very thirsty. "We can't get all of these fine animals and then let them die of thirst," declared the younger brother.

"There has to be some water around here somewhere. We must keep our eyes and ears alert," declared the older brother.

A little while later, the older brother thought he heard the rushing of water as they approached a very steep cliff. He peered over the edge and then let out a cry for joy. "Water! Tie a rope around me and lower me down the side of the cliff. After I have had my fill, I'll do the same for you." The younger brother did just that, and it wasn't long before his brother was back up the side of the cliff, refreshed and satisfied.

"My turn!" exclaimed the younger brother. "I wish I could just fly down the side of the cliff. I'm so thirsty I can hardly stand it." He was in too much of a hurry for his drink to notice an evil smile that crossed his brother's face. Yes, the younger brother was safely lowered down the side of the cliff. However, as soon as he arrived at the bottom, his brother flicked the end of the rope over the edge as well. "There is no way for him to climb up that cliff," smiled the older brother. "And when he perishes, as he will, all of these herds will then become mine." Then, he turned his back on his younger brother and started the long and tiring journey home with the flocks.

There was great excitement in the village as the brother entered with his herds. "An old woman gave me these animals," he joyfully explained. "I haven't even had time to count how many there are in the herd."

But there was no joy in his mother's eyes. She scanned over the herd of animals in search of her younger son. "Where is your brother?" she finally asked.

"He isn't here? I haven't seen him since early afternoon. He said he was tired and wanted to return home," lied the older brother. "I really could have used his help with all of these animals, too."

"It is not like him to tire while hunting," observed the father."And, he should be home now that it is getting dark," added the mother. Of course, the younger brother never came home. His mother listened for his return throughout the

night. In the morning, she searched the horizon for any sign of him. She strained her ears to hear his voice announcing his return. The only unusual sound she heard that morning was the singing of a honey-bird. "This could be a good omen" she thought. "If the village men follow this bird's song, it should lead them to the bees' nest for honey. On a day like this, we could use that kind of good fortune."

Several of the village men, including the father of the missing boy, set off to follow the honey-bird. Normally, it didn't take long to locate the bees' nest, but this day was not normal. The honey-bird led the men across the fields and deep into the bush. The little bird, and the men that followed her, only rested for brief moments. Then, the honey-bird continued to lead the men further into the bush.

"I've had just about all of this honey-bird that I care to follow," declared one old hunter. "There is no honey out here today. I for one am very tired and want to go home."

And, at that moment, something very unusual happened. The little honey-bird chirped louder than anyone had ever heard one before. Then, she fluttered her wings violently as she raced around the men.

"I've never seen anything like this," declared the old hunter. "It's almost like she understood the words you said and wanted to change your mind," observed the father

of the missing boy. "I think we need to follow this little bird a little further."So, the men followed the little honey-bird deeper into the bush. She brought them to a high cliff that none

of the men ever remembered seeing before. Then, the bird swooped up and down, luring the men to the very edge of the cliff. Finally, she dived completely out of their sight towards the bottom of the cliff.

The father of the missing boy peered over the edge and let out a cry of joy. "My son! This little honey-bird has brought us to my son, and now she rests at his feet."

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Very quickly the men of the village fashioned a strong rope from creepers they found growing about. In no time at all, the missing son was brought up the side of the cliff. Then, the whole truth about the older brother was revealed.

"That son shall be severely punished!" declared the old hunter. "This kind of greed will not be tolerated in our village."

Everyone, including the father of the two boys, agreed with the hunter. However, there would be no punishment for the older brother. Somehow he must have known that the suspicious honey-bird would lead to his younger brother's rescue. Before the village men returned home, the older brother fled, never to be seen again.

As for the younger brother, his herds prospered and he became a very wealthy man. He was easily able to care for his parents in their old age. And, he always had plenty of fresh honey for them. For you see, from that day on, the younger son was always the first to hear the honey-bird's song.

When the chief finally called the girls in front of him, he declared, "Those who give death should also be given death. But, I have learned something from this old dog. Sometimes it is also good to save a life. So, I will give you a chance to live, although you certainly don't deserve it. If you wish to live, you must bring me that terrible monster Nabulela. He has troubled our village long enough. Yes, bring me this creature and I will spare your lives."

It wasn't much of a choice for the group of girls. They faced a possible death at the hands of the terrible monster or certain death at the hands of their chief. But, they quickly devised a plan that they hoped just might save their lives and satisfy their chief.

At sunset, the girls set out for the lake with the porridge and bread that they always brought to Nabulela. However, instead of leaving it at the water's edge and fleeing, the girls dropped loaves of bread along the shore, tempting the monster out of the water. The bread and porridge didn't interest him as much as the girls who brought the offering. And since the girls remained along the shore, it didn't take long to get Nabulela's attention.

When the monster emerged from the water, the girls saw just how enormous the snow-white creature really was. And then, he roared and they saw just how many sharp teeth he had. That was too much for the girls. They dropped the porridge and fled back towards their village. Nabulela raced after them. It was lucky for the girls that they had a good lead, because he was a very fast creature.

The girls raced into the village and straight through the entrance of the royal cattle kraal with the monster just behind them. Of course, the girls had no plans to remain trapped in the kraal. They dashed through to the back exit and escaped. Immediately, two of their friends slammed the gate shut before Nabulela could follow. And then, two others locked the front entrance to the kraal. The great snow-white creature was trapped. It didn't take the girls' fathers long to finish the job their children had started. The great monster was no match for so many warriors with shields and spears.

The village girls created a magnificent snow-white cape for their chief. The chief not only forgave them, but he wore the cape over his shoulders for the rest of his life. And, of course, there was enough left over to make a matching snow-white cape for his daughter and her faithful old dog.

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The Curse (South Africa)As the old woman returned to her home, her mind was still on the wedding celebration in the

neighboring village. She didn't see the broken pot in the pathway until after she tripped over it, cutting her leg and spilling all her possessions in the process. "Who is the fool who left their garbage in the path where decent folk walk? A curse be upon that fool! May his first born child be struck dumb this very hour until someone else breaks that spell by doing something even more foolish than leaving a broken pot in the pathway!" Then, having sufficiently vented her anger, the old woman collected her scattered belongings and continued down the path to her home.

A little ways over the hillside lived a young girl named Tembe and her parents. At that moment, her mother frantically searched around the house. "Husband," she cried, "have you seen the water pot? Didn't you take it to the garden?"

"I did take it," replied the husband, "but I know I placed it on the back of the cart before returning home."

"Well, if you don't have it," thought the wife, "perhaps Tembe has seen it. Tembe! Tembe, have you seen the water jug?"

But, there was no answer from their young daughter. She had suddenly and mysteriously been struck silent.

All thoughts for the missing water pot were, of course, forgotten. "Someone must have cast a curse upon her!" cried the mother. "But why would anyone do such a cursed thing to our Tembe?"

The parents took their daughter to many traditional healers but none of them were able to help the little girl. And so, years passed by and Tembe remained silent. Yes, she grew in beauty and grace, but that was little comfort to her parents. "Who," they both wondered, "who would ever want to marry a beautiful young woman with a curse upon her?"

Tembe's parents had good reason for their concern. Word spread quickly throughout the land about the beautiful maiden who had been cursed. And, as her parents watched their daughter grow, they also saw the look in their neighbors' eyes. Sometimes they also heard their cruel whispers. But fortunately, there was one young man, Nthu, who could see past the curse. He saw Tembe for the beautiful, kind, and thoughtful young woman that she was. And, Nthu determined that he would do everything within his power to help Tembe.

"If I explain the problem to the tree spirit, perhaps he will be able to help Tembe," thought Nthu. "Maybe, just maybe, he could cast off the spell that has tied her tongue for so long."

So, that is just what the young man did. When it was dark, and nobody else could see what he was doing, Nthu slipped through his village until he came upon a large sacred tree. Then, he fell down before the tree spirit, pouring out his heart and telling about the young girl with a curse.

Nthu had no idea that Hare had hidden his home at the base of the sacred tree. As the young man pleaded to the tree spirit, it naturally disturbed Hare's sleep. But, the hare didn't mind since the story he heard was so interesting. In the darkness, he crept even closer to Nthu to clearly hear the whole

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story. A grin passed over his face as the hare realized a way to help himself and have a little fun at the same time.

Hare coughed a time or two, cleared his throat, and then in his deepest voice declared, "Nthu, I have heard your request. Now, what do you plan to give me as payment if I help this young woman?"

"Oh, great tree spirit," cried Nthu,"ask whatever you will. I will do anything to help Tembe!"Of course, that was exactly the reply Hare expected. Taking his time, as if he had to consider the

matter greatly, the trickster finally replied, "Well . . . you must find me fresh green vegetables and juicy berries from the bush. Bring them to me each morning and place them at my feet. If you do this, I will consider how I might be able to help this young woman."

"You can count on me!" exclaimed the young man. True to his word, day after day, Nthu delivered a supply of vegetables and berries. And, day after day, Hare enjoyed his free meal. However, after a few days of feasting, even Hare began to feel a little guilty. Finally, he decided that he needed to find this young woman. After all, he was quite a clever old hare. Maybe there was something he could do about the situation?

Hare didn't have any trouble finding Tembe's farm. He knew exactly where it was since he had stolen vegetables from it so many times. And, just as he expected, he found Tembe carefully working in her father's field. The young woman worked so hard that she didn't even notice Hare. And, he didn't like that one bit. When Hare asked if he could help her plant the seedlings, Tembe didn't answer. She worked with so much concentration that she didn't hear his request.

"Well, she is going to notice me if it is the last thing I do!" thought Hare. He grabbed some of the seedlings and followed after Tembe. However, when Hare planted the seedlings, he put them in the ground upside down with their roots sticking out of the air.

Tembe still didn't notice Hare. It wasn't till she reached the end of her row that she stood and stretched. Then, Tembe saw what Hare had done. She glared at him as she shook her fist. "You foolish creature!" she cried. "What do you think you are doing to my seedlings?"

Suddenly, a look of complete amazement crossed Tembe's face as she realized she had actually spoken. She dropped her hoe and ran from the field. Laughing, shouting, and singing, she had to find her Nthu.

"Isn't that just like a human?" thought Hare. "Not even a thank you for my efforts. Well, I better put these seedlings in the ground properly. Chances are pretty good that I won't be getting any more free meals delivered to my home."

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The Gone Forever Tree (Botswana)"Faster! Faster!" cried the lion. "I must run even faster! Those wild dogs are right behind me."

The dogs chased the lion throughout the long, long day. Over rocks, through streams, into the bush, and along the trails. The poor lion had no chance to rest. It seemed that at every turn he made, another one of those wild dogs waited for him.

Finally, he made a small break from the dogs. And, just at that moment, he saw a man sitting under a large tree.

"Please, sir, can you help me?" begged the terrified lion. "I've been chased by these wild dogs all day long. I'm so tired I can hardly take another step."

"Quickly, get behind the tree," instructed the man. "I'll send the dogs off in another direction. Hurry now, I can hear them approaching!"

Just as the lion settled himself behind the tree, the pack of wild dogs dashed out of the bush. One of the dogs asked the man, "Have you seen a lion pass by here?"

"Yes!" cried the man. "He ran off towards the hill over there. I'm sure you can get him if you hurry. He looked very tired."

"Thank you," howled the dogs as they dashed off towards the hill.

"My pleasure to help you," chuckled the man to himself."

With the pack of dogs off his trail, the lion's courage was renewed. He sprang from behind the tree and grabbed the man in his huge paws.

"What are you doing?" cried the man.

"It should be obvious," replied the lion. "I'm going to eat you."

"But I just saved your life!" protested the man.

"Yes, and I appreciate it," answered the lion. "But, I'm very hungry. I'm much too tired to hunt for food elsewhere when you are right here and in my grasp."

"You can't do this!" insisted the man.

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"Oh, but I can! And, I will," snarled the lion.

At that moment, Hare came down the trail. He looked at the two arguing and asked, "What seems to be the problem?"

As fast as possible, the man explained the situation to the hare.

Hare smiled and said, "I know how to solve this matter if you will trust me. Man, I need a stick from the Gone-Forever-Tree. Will you please go get one for me?"

The man went into the bush for the stick. But, he'd never heard of that particular tree before. So, he returned with a stick from the mophane tree.

"No, no, no, Man, this is not what I want at all," the hare cried. "I meant it when I said I want a stick from the Gone-Forever-Tree."

Once again the man set off into the bush to find the stick for Hare. But, he still never heard of the tree that Hare talked about. So, he returned with a stick from the mokgalo tree.

"You aren't listening to me, Man. I need a stick from the Gone-Forever-Tree. If you can't find that one, then a stick from the Never-Come-Back Tree will do," instructed Hare.

One more time the man set off into the bush looking for the stick that Hare wanted. However, he'd never heard of either of those trees. So, he returned with a stick from the moana tree."

Hare sighed, "Lion, this silly human doesn't know how to follow simple instructions like you and I can. I'm going to have to go show him where the Gone-Forever-Tree is located. Do you mind?"

"It not a problem," assured Lion. "I'd go with you but I'm just too tired."

So, Hare went off into the bush to show the man where he could find the Gone-Forever-Tree.

Lion waited, and waited, and waited, and waited. He waited but the two never returned.

They had gone forever!

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Puppy Love (South Africa)It was not an easy time for the people of the village by the lake. Nabulela, a terrible snow-white monster, lived in those

waters. And, he was a dangerous monster to say the least. To keep him happy, the villagers brought him offerings of porridge and bread each evening at sunset. They left the gifts by the water's edge and fled. They had good reason to run, too. For you see, the monster accepted the offerings of porridge and bread, but he really preferred to eat the people who brought the offerings.

Although the monster troubled the people of the village, their chief hardly noticed the problem. He had troubles of his own. His wives had given him many fine sons, but what he wanted more than anything was to have a daughter. This weighed upon the chief and distracted him from his duties. But finally, the day came when his favorite wife presented a beautiful daughter with lovely black eyes.

The little baby giggled and the chief was overjoyed. "We shall have a feast for my little princess," he declared. "This will be a feast like nobody has even seen throughout the land." The celebrating lasted for several days. But, even during the feasting, the villagers remembered to bring their offerings to Nabulela each evening at sunset.

The little princess could do no wrong in her father's eyes. As the years passed, she grew more and more lovely. There was no wish her father could deny her. He dressed her in the finest beads with exotic feathers and rare furs. This kind of treatment could have spoiled the young girl. However, she was kind and loving to everyone. And, the other girls in the village hated her.

"Look at her today!" hissed one of the older girls. "She is wearing another new necklace. This time it is one with a wooden amulet!"

"I hate her!" cried a little girl."Shhhh!" whispered her older sister. "We must never let the princess hear this."Of course, they had to keep their feelings a secret among themselves. It would do them no good to let the chief know

how they felt about his only daughter. So, they played with the princess, sang with her, and joined her on the daily trips to the river for water.

One day at the riverside, a little girl noticed a tiny paw waving about in the water. Most of the children giggled at the little puppy with a stone tied around his neck. But when the young princess saw it, she jumped into the water to rescue the animal from drowning. She held the puppy to her heart as she gently carried it home. As soon as the puppy fully recovered, the two were rarely seen apart. It was obvious to everyone that the princess and her puppy loved each other very much.

As the years passed, some things in the village changed. The princess grew into a lovely young maiden and her puppy grew old, too old to follow her on her daily trip to the river for water. But while some things changed, other things stayed the same. The girls in the village still hated the princess. If it was possible, their hatred had grown even stronger.

And on one day, as the girls went to the clay pits, something terrible happened. They were supposed to gather the red ochre that dancers smeared over their bodies for traditional celebrations. But as the girls collected the clay from the pit, they whispered among themselves and a terrible plan formed.

As the princess bent down to collect a last bit of clay, the other girls grabbed her. In just a matter of moments, she was tossed into the pit and covered with earth. Then, the girls collected their belongings and headed back to the village as if nothing had happened.

Only the puppy, now an old dog, noticed the girls as they returned home. He had been tied to a leash outside the chief's home because even at his age he still liked to follow the princess. At first he jumped for joy at the sight of the girls. But, when he didn’t see the chief's daughter, he cried out for her. In spite of his whining, nobody else noticed that the princess did not come home.

It wasn't till the chief returned in the evening that he noticed something was wrong. "Where is my daughter?" he wondered. "And, why is it that her dog has chewed through his leash and disappeared?" So, the chief asked the village girls if they had seen his daughter.

"No, we've not seen her all day," they lied. "She didn't come with us to the clay pit as she was supposed to."

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And then one girl added, "She did mention something about meeting a stranger down by the watering hole this morning."The chief called several of the village men to help him search for his daughter. Just as they grabbed their torches to head

for the watering hole, the chief saw his daughter's dog limping down the trail towards home. The dog was covered from head to toe with clay. "Well, my faithful one, I can see you've been to the clay pit. But, why did you go there?" Then, he saw his daughter's necklace with the wooden amulet in the old dog's mouth.

Instantly, the chief knew the village girls had lied to him. "My daughter is at the clay pits! Come with me quickly!" With torches held high in the air, the chief and his men headed off to the clay pits. And, nobody could stop the old dog from making yet another trip back to his princess.

As they neared the clay pits, the old dog let out a low whine. It was greeted by a shout of joy from high up in a tree where the princess had climbed to escape a lion. As she hurried down from the tree, her father examined the scene. It was not difficult to see what had happened. He saw the pit where his daughter had been buried and the claw marks where her faithful dog had dug her out. And when he finally held his daughter, he saw smear marks over her face where her loyal friend had licked her back to life.

"Oh, Father,"cried the girl, "I feared I would never see you again!""If it had not been for your faithful old friend here, I hate to think what would have happened," smiled the chief. "I

couldn't understand why he had clay all over himself until I found your wooden amulet in his mouth.""Well, I saved his life so long ago," said the daughter. "I guess it is only right that he saved my life today."There was great rejoicing throughout the village when the chief returned with his daughter. Everyone was thrilled to see

the princess safely home. Well, that is everyone except the girls who had gone to the clay pits. They trembled, and for a good reason!

When the chief finally called the girls in front of him, he declared, "Those who give death should also be given death. But, I have learned something from this old dog. Sometimes it is also good to save a life. So, I will give you a chance to live, although you certainly don't deserve it. If you wish to live, you must bring me that terrible monster Nabulela. He has troubled our village long enough. Yes, bring me this creature and I will spare your lives."

It wasn't much of a choice for the group of girls. They faced a possible death at the hands of the terrible monster or certain death at the hands of their chief. But, they quickly devised a plan that they hoped just might save their lives and satisfy their chief.

At sunset, the girls set out for the lake with the porridge and bread that they always brought to Nabulela. However, instead of leaving it at the water's edge and fleeing, the girls dropped loaves of bread along the shore, tempting the monster out of the water. The bread and porridge didn't interest him as much as the girls who brought the offering. And since the girls remained along the shore, it didn't take long to get Nabulela's attention.

When the monster emerged from the water, the girls saw just how enormous the snow-white creature really was. And then, he roared and they saw just how many sharp teeth he had. That was too much for the girls. They dropped the porridge and fled back towards their village. Nabulela raced after them. It was lucky for the girls that they had a good lead, because he was a very fast creature.

The girls raced into the village and straight through the entrance of the royal cattle kraal with the monster just behind them. Of course, the girls had no plans to remain trapped in the kraal. They dashed through to the back exit and escaped. Immediately, two of their friends slammed the gate shut before Nabulela could follow. And then, two others locked the front entrance to the kraal. The great snow-white creature was trapped. It didn't take the girls' fathers long to finish the job their children had started. The great monster was no match for so many warriors with shields and spears.

The village girls created a magnificent snow-white cape for their chief. The chief not only forgave them, but he wore the cape over his shoulders for the rest of his life. And, of course, there was enough left over to make a matching snow-white cape for his daughter and her faithful old dog.

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How Olomuroro Made Children ThinOlómúroro was a greedy monster who preyed on little children. He was not a good looking creature but

children did not seem scared of him because he sang so sweetly. He would approach the children with song and then take their food away.

Tojo was one of the little children that Olómúroro preyed upon. Tojo’s father was a farmer and his mother was a trader. Every morning as soon as the first cock crowed, Tojo’s father would leave for the farm. Tojo’s mother would make him some akara for breakfast and some fufu and egusi soup for lunch before leaving for the market where she sold produce from their farm.

Every morning, as Tojo got ready to eat his breakfast, Olómúroro would appear singing and Tojo would respond: Olómúroro, welcome! Watch your step!

Olómúroro would ask: Where is your mother?

Tojo would answer: My mother, the trader, has gone to the market

Olómúroro would ask: Where is your father?

The boy, Tojo would answer: My father the farmer has gone to the farm.

The song would continue with Olómúroro asking the boy where his food was and Tojo would show the creature where his mother kept his breakfast and lunch.

Olómúroro would then gobble up all of Tojo’s food leaving not even a tiny bit for Tojo to eat. The days went by and Tojo got thinner and thinner. His parents noticed and they were worried. Tojo

looked like he needed some more food so his mother increased the number of akara she made him for breakfast. She also gave him a bigger bowl of fufu and egusi for lunch, but still Tojo got thinner. The parents were baffled because every day, they found Tojo’s breakfast and lunch bowls licked clean and yet Tojo was getting thinner. If Tojo got any thinner, he would become very sick.

By now, the parents suspected something else was eating Tojo’s food and they needed to put a stop to it. The following morning, Tojo’s mother put his food at the top of a high shelf where Tojo could not reach it and she went to the market as usual. Tojo’s father too picked his sword and hoe and set out for the farm. But this time, he turned back home to hide in a place where he could watch Tojo and the bowls at the top of the shelf.

Olómúroro arrived as usual and Tojo’s father watched the exchange between Olómúroro and Tojo. This time when Olómúroro asked Tojo where his food was, he pointed to the top of the shelf. Olómúroro

asked Tojo to step on a stool to get the bowls of food. But Tojo still could not reach the bowls. Olómúroro asked him to use a long stick to get the bowls so Tojo got a long stick and poked at the bowls. The bowls came clattering down and shattered on the floor.

As Olómúroro bent his head down to lick the food off the floor, Tojo’s father leapt out with his cutlass and killed Olómúroro. That was how hundreds of children who had been getting thin mysteriously started to grow and get chubby again.

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