Trickster TalesAfrican Folktales
Anansi and the Pot of Wisdom
A greedy spider tries to hoard the world's wisdom only to find it cannot be contained.
AnansiNtikuma
Trickster TalesRead Story →
Fables and Folklore
African Folktales
Explore stories from the Fables and Folklore collection
40Stories
Showing 1-24 of 40 stories
Trickster TalesAfrican Folktales
Anansi and the Tiger's Stories
A tiny spider uses his wits to win the rights to all stories from a powerful tiger.
Anansi the SpiderTiger
Trickster TalesRead Story →
Trickster TalesAfrican Folktales
How Anansi Got Eight Thin Legs
A greedy spider's plan to attend eight feasts results in his famously long, thin legs.
Anansi the SpiderRabbit
Trickster TalesRead Story →
Trickster TalesAfrican Folktales
Anansi and the Magic Stick
Anansi steals a magic stick to avoid work, only to find himself drowning in his own shortcut.
Anansi the SpiderHyena
Trickster TalesRead Story →
Trickster TalesAfrican Folktales
Why Anansi Has a Small Waist
A greedy spider's plan to attend two feasts at once leaves him with a permanently thin waist.
AnansiKweku Tsin
Trickster TalesRead Story →
Trickster TalesAfrican Folktales
Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock
Anansi’s greedy scheme with a magical rock is undone by a clever little deer.
AnansiLion
Trickster TalesRead Story →
Trickster TalesAfrican Folktales
Anansi Goes Fishing
Anansi the Spider tries to cheat his friend out of work but ends up doing all the fishing himself.
Anansi the SpiderAnene the River Bird
Trickster TalesRead Story →
Trickster TalesAfrican Folktales
Anansi and the Turtle
A greedy spider learns a lesson in fairness when a turtle uses his own tricks against him.
Anansi the SpiderTurtle
Trickster TalesRead Story →
Trickster TalesAfrican Folktales
Anansi and the Python
Anansi the spider outsmarts a giant python using a bamboo pole and clever words.
AnansiOnini the Python
Trickster TalesRead Story →
Trickster TalesAfrican Folktales
Anansi Tries to Steal All the Wisdom
Anansi learns that wisdom belongs to everyone after failing to hoard it in a clay pot.
Anansi the SpiderNtikuma
Trickster TalesRead Story →
Trickster TalesAfrican Folktales
Anansi and the Talking Melon
A greedy spider gets stuck in a fruit and uses his wits to trick an elephant and a king.
Anansi the SpiderElephant
Trickster TalesRead Story →
Trickster TalesAfrican Folktales
Anansi's Hat Shaking Dance
A greedy spider tries to hide stolen beans in his hat, resulting in a painful and bald lesson.
Anansi the SpiderAnansi's Mother-in-law
Trickster TalesRead Story →
Trickster TalesAfrican Folktales
Anansi and the Gum Baby
A greedy spider's temper lands him in a sticky trap in this classic African trickster tale.
Anansi the SpiderThe Farmer
Trickster TalesRead Story →
Trickster TalesAfrican Folktales
Tortoise and the Wisdom of the World
A greedy tortoise tries to hoard all knowledge but learns that wisdom belongs to everyone.
TortoiseTortoise's Son
Trickster TalesRead Story →
Trickster TalesAfrican Folktales
Hare and the Hyena
A clever Hare uses a 'fire' ruse to trick a greedy Hyena out of a sweet honey feast.
HareHyena
Trickster TalesRead Story →
Trickster TalesAfrican Folktales
The Tortoise and the Elephant
A clever tortoise outwits a mighty elephant through cunning and a hidden trap.
TortoiseElephant
Trickster TalesRead Story →
Creation MythsAfrican Folktales
How Death Came to the World
A tragic race between two animal messengers brings the permanent shadow of death to humanity.
The CreatorChameleon
Creation MythsRead Story →
Creation MythsAfrican Folktales
The Sky Moves Higher
How human greed and a wooden pestle pushed the sky out of reach forever.
Nyame (The Sky God)The Greedy Woman
Creation MythsRead Story →
Creation MythsAfrican Folktales
Why the Sun and Moon Live in the Sky
A friendly visit from the Water forces the Sun and Moon to find a new home in the heavens.
SunMoon
Creation MythsRead Story →
Creation MythsAfrican Folktales
The Separation of God and Man
A woman's thoughtless actions push God into the high heavens, ending an era of divine harmony.
Nyame (The Sky God)The Old Woman
Creation MythsRead Story →
Creation MythsAfrican Folktales
The Chameleon and the Lizard
A slow messenger costs humanity eternal life in this powerful Zulu creation myth.
Unkulunkulu (The Great Spirit)The Chameleon
Creation MythsRead Story →
Creation MythsAfrican Folktales
How Fire Was Given to Man
A brave hero journeys to the sky to bring the gift of fire and warmth to a cold, dark world.
OlorunThe Brave Young Man
Creation MythsRead Story →
Creation MythsAfrican Folktales
How the Animals Got Their Colors
A vibrant African myth explaining how the Great Spirit painted the world's creatures.
The Great SpiritLeopard
Creation MythsRead Story →
Creation MythsAfrican Folktales
Why the Bat Flies at Night
A jealous trick backfires, forcing the bat to hide from the sun to escape the King's justice.
The BatThe Bush Rat
Creation MythsRead Story →
Page 1 of 2