African Folktales
Ebele's story began in the bustling city of Lagos, where the hum of the market and the rhythm of daily life were as constant as the sun. She lived in a spacious house with her father, Chike, her stepmother, Nneka, and her two stepsisters, Adaeze and Akachi. The house was always filled with the scent of spices and the sound of Nneka's stern voice.
In the embrace of the Serengeti, where the horizon kisses the sun and baobabs stand as silent witnesses to time, a family of warthogs named Jabari, Hasani, and Zalika grew up under the watchful eyes of their doting mother. Their childhood was a beautiful weave of golden days and starlit nights, their laughter mingling with the rustle of the acacia leaves.
Once upon a time, there was a fish who lived in a lake. He was handsome and strong, but also proud and arrogant. He thought he was the best swimmer in the lake, and he looked down on the other creatures who lived there. He especially disliked the toads, who he considered ugly and clumsy.
Once upon a time, in a land far away, there lived a mouse and a snake who were both expecting their first babies. The mouse was very protective of his baby and warned him never to go near the brook that flowed through the forest. He said, "The brook is deep and dangerous, my son. If you fall in, you will drown and die. And if you don't, the snake will get you. He is our mortal enemy and he will not hesitate to devour you."
Long ago, in a land far away, there lived a young man named Jelani. He was the son of a wealthy and powerful chief, and he had a gift for interpreting dreams. One night, he had a strange dream that troubled him greatly. He dreamed that he saw seven fat and healthy cows grazing by the river, followed by seven thin and sickly cows that devoured the fat ones. He woke up with a start and wondered what the dream meant.
Long ago, in a small village of the Efik people, there lived a woman named Nkoyo, who was pregnant with twins. She did not know this, for she had never seen or heard of twins before. She only felt that her belly was bigger than usual, and that she often felt two kicks instead of one. One day, as she was walking to the river to fetch some water, she met a huge python on the road. The python was hungry and wanted to eat her, but it also sensed that she was carrying something special in her womb. It decided to spare her life, but only on one condition.
