Category: folklore
Two goats fought over a loaf of bread. The tortoise saw them and offers to resolve the issue. He tore the bread unevenly and because it’s uneven he takes a bite from one half. But the bread remained uneven. So he took another bite and continued until there was no more bread left. The goats […]
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The Poet & The Peasant | O’ Henry
THE OTHER DAY a poet friend of mine, who has lived in close communication with nature all his life, wrote a poem and took it to an editor. It was a living pastoral, full of the genuine breath of the fields, the song of birds, and the pleasant chatter of trickling streams. When the poet […]
When beautiful summer came… Upon the glades and vales of the wild woods The Mountain took her position and stood quietly by the forest side, Sniffing the sweet smell come from fresh growing flower shrubs Happy birds came flying home Followed by pretty insects and the boar herd The skies tinted with blue skirmish Sometimes […]
Memories Most traditional pots in Igboland are made from moulded clay dried in kilns. In times past, the Igbo society is well known for pottery. Water collected from streams and springs is fed into the big pot. So through the night, the clay pot makes the water chill. In the morning, a cup of water […]
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Dialogue 7: Laziness Vs Hardwork
Storyteller: Ifochakpi! Audience: Waa!! Storyteller: Good evening, my friends! Today we will consider two characters. I wrote about this short rhyme for kids and teens. It came back to me when I remembered the story I read as a school kid—the tale of lazy hoppers and busy ants. The ants were seen as losers because […]
Have you ever been on the pathway to sleep And all you could see was circles spiralling, twisting and falling like mild paints on the wall? Strange as it seems… Weird songs of night come alive: Sweet melodies of the frog choir across the road where the rain water log… And the trembling voices of […]
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The Village Square
Night’s dance festival Brings all, big and small The farmer, wine tapper, The cobbler and dancers A night of skewered meat And one, where lovers tryst
The Greedy/Selfish Tortoise Storyteller: Ifochakpi! Audience: Waa! Storyteller: Nabe, the Tortoise is a controversial character. But we must note that the tortoise’s character is metaphorical. We use tales to demonstrate what is obtainable in the real world. Greed is a vice. In Africa, it is frowned upon and selfish people in folktales tend to fall […]
Here is one of the oldest and best loved stories of kindness paid and repaid. From it we learn that compassion lies within the power of both the mighty and the meek. Kindness is not a feeble virtue. One day a great lion lay asleep in the sunshine. A little mouse ran across his paw […]
The shed of trees is our playful home It’s where we learn to sing and dance, Under it, we wait for the moonlight, It’s a citadel when we play our games, Limbs we cling to, to mock the monkeys, It’s the grand shanty where father’s tales are told, The onset and climax of night where […]
The fireside is my favorite stage And I’m set to be the entertainment So listen to the fire lick the wood, And to these words and humor Here’s the realm, I created in the mind; A guard musketeer belts his gun, An impatient innkeeper ordering, The butchers to supply some beef, All preparing for the […]
Nature’s beauty is best pleasure The happiest people are contented, Those who value what they have: Slivers of peace, happiness, and love Harbingers of hope and fulfillment Happiness is part of nature’s mission It begets immunity in the flurry, Dwell in purity and simplicity From the hustle and noise without Happy people are genuinely rich […]
Cheetahs are the fastest land animals
Make Hay While It Shines I’ve written this short rhyme for kids and teens. It came to me when I remembered the story I read as a school kid—the tale of lazy hoppers and busy ants. The ants were seen as losers because they had no time for frivolities. Indeed, the ant clan spent most […]
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The Muskrat
Don’t let little details get the better of you. Vices Vices are bad habits. Society is full of them. Indeed, the contemporary youth is impatient and this had contributed immensely to the problems faced today. In this short tale, the muskrat had demonstrated two vices that can destroy anyone – impatience and anger. We must […]
In African fables and tales, it’s believed that people have met with good luck just by greeting strangers Welcome to the beautiful morning of June 1st, 2021. By African tradition, it’s formal to say greetings to anyone encountered on the way. Some cultures consider it taboo not to say greetings to people (especially the aged). […]
{Shepherd lore…} Down by the riverside, I wait for my flock to graze, I listen to lovely young lambs call out to their mothers, I wait for the sun to set and for the breezy evening to arrive, Thoughts of a warm bed, stacked with hay return to me, Of the night sky, which is […]
The Leopard Spirit 5 When I arrived home that evening, it seemed like the whole world was turned upside down. I felt my head swell as the bee stings and sharp roots hurt. By the side of my bamboo bed, Nene and her dog sat, staring at me. She held my hand and squeezed softly. […]
Why do I feel like a titan When I come home to you? Oh, motherland, I run to you again Remind me of your love, of hope, I feel a tingling breeze upon my bare flesh The kind wind consoles me in many ways Listening to music from pine trees I shall throw my windows […]
The Igbo Storytelling Tradition Before the coming of the white man, the Igbo cultural society educated themselves through folktales. Storytelling was a revered tradition used to pass the wisdom of ancestors to the younger generation. It is assumed that anyone who can tell a good story is wise. The Igbo people believe in a supernatural […]
When the green neighborhood dance to the call of the wild, one Dark are the skies; darker even are the clouds which stalk the rain The wind came swift and slow; rushing at times as petals of flowers dance To the music of the coming rain; to lullabies that made heads bounce And to the […]
The Mischievous Tortoise Do you ever wonder why Nnabe, the Tortoise, is always portrayed as a mischievous personality in tales? You are not alone. Sometimes I try to understand the nature of this fictitious character, how he reasons, and why he acts the way he does. I even ask why this animal was picked to […]
Shiny stars, still evening, Smooth, breezy companion, A shepherd’s lonely hymn
When summer finally came, a lot had changed The last snow melted, and the sad land woke Grasses started growing, covering the outer earth So those who burrow scrambled out from the dust Soft airs and tidings surround the mountainside Sending sweet emissaries around the valley below Vines, myrrhs, mistletoes, and pines sprout happily In […]
Growing up Growing up was fun. School holidays took me to the countryside, where I was acquainted with folklore life. I have done strange but funny things like wearing a girl’s skirt to play with other children (that’s a story for another day), returning to the stream to bury a dead crab I killed, attempted […]
Chinua Achebe was born on November 16, 1930, in Ogidi, Nigeria.”The sun will shine on those who stand before it shines on those who kneel under them.” — Chinua Achebe, THINGS FALL APARTABOUT THINGS FALL, APART THINGS FALL APART tells two overlappings, intertwining stories centered around Okonkwo, a “strong man” of an Igbo village in […]
Hi everyone! How was your day? I have a story to share. So bring your seats and mats to the fireplace, listen attentively and may the nightingales sing us a lullaby when we retire to bed. Once upon a time there lived a wise man by the name of Mamad. He never lied. All the […]
The African Storytelling Tradition When I, the storyteller, say: Ifochakpii! You, the audience, will reply, Waa!! (Pronounced as ‘War!’) This is the Igbo people’s storytelling tradition. There are different ways of introducing a story to the audience. To the Igbo people, it starts with a chant-like ranting that tries to capture all present attention. So […]
New landlords Okay guys, I traveled to my country home or just say my village. I was welcomed by squirrels racing on the rooftop. I thought it was a cat at first but cats don’t fly on tree branches. I finally saw one skinny squirrel holding his chin. It wouldn’t wait for me to get […]
There’s a land behind those ancient hills Hidden in the thick greened forest, One of mighty foliage, brushes & roots Dark green shrubs gather by the riverside Ripe fruits plunge into the quiet waters And fish schools scatter in excitement Brown and black crabs meet to get drunk Squirrels watch them, amused from treetops The […]
I like to watch the sun rise, to wait while she cast her beauty on earth, So I wake early to fly my kite, to gather the stray bugs, worms and locust, The fields are my playground, a partner to hides and seek, I watch the sun, her golden smile, and light it brought to […]
When twilight came I took a walk, for some air And down the roadside I went. There a young man stood Bearded heavily unlike myself Throwing corn seeds into his mouth And grinding them with such relish That his brown teeth showed off He stood a little close to my fence And I decided to […]
Gather around the fire and read this story with me. It’s a long bedtime tale. An honest farmer had once a donkey that had been a faithful servant to him a great many years, but was now growing old and every day more and more unfit for work. His master therefore was tired of keeping […]
When summer finally came, a lot had changed The last snow melted and the sad land woke Grasses started growing, covering the outer earth So those who burrow scrambled out from the dust Soft airs and tidings surround the mountainside Sending sweet emissaries around the valley below Vines, myrrh, mistletoes and pines sprout happily In […]
Onye aturu ilu kowaa ya, ego eji luo nne ya efuola ohia. Before I start this post permit me to greet Igbo people; those who own the proverbs I’m about to explore; Ndi Igbo kwenu! Ekelem unu o. Ndewonu. •Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe on Igbo traditional Isi-agu attire INTRODUCTION: PROVERBS There are many definitions for proverbs […]
I will tell you a rhyme of the shepherdess who loved her sheep, She lives in the country and could sing her community to sleep Twinkle went stars nested far up the pregnant black sky, When black clouds float, the gathering rain storm sigh, “It will rain, but it might wait a little,” the young […]
Today I met this round twins, sumptuous red fruit By the garden they grew, so I’ll make a muse for it. 1. Hanging down hopelessly as their weight was a clear burden, Close to a busy ant hole, where ants traversed without care, Their redness portray the sun’s ire but they seem quite unperturbed I […]
1. To you my feathery friend I write In greying fields your fur I sight Dangling by your sides are wings, A tall neck, from which you may sing 2. Caw caw, caw caw are your favourite words The wind is your friend, the soil your playground, The shrub is home, to it you rest […]
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Home: Africa
High up above the hills of Africa, the dark-winged clouds of the night were still folded above the village and surrounding valley. Man and the domestic animals that were his slept. But the antelope of the forest and the small fleet-footed gazelle were wide awake. In a short time, early morning dew descends from ancient […]
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