Nigerian Folktales — 112 Stories

• The Maiden and the Sarakin Pumpkin
• The Water of Ladi
• Why the Hartebeest Always Has Tears in His Eyes
• The Boy Who Was Raised by Spirits
• Chief Indoma and the Human Sacrifices
• Inkang and the Mushroom Child
• The Proud Girl Who Refused Every Suitor
• The Fish Who Lost His Home
• The Water Spirit of Oguta Lake
• The Leopard of the Oba’s Palace
• The Woman of Arochukwu Cave
• The Stone Messenger of Idanre
• The King’s Gong of Owo
• The Princess of the Brass Kingdom
• The Moonlight Dancers of Calabar
• Queen Amina’s Secret Messenger
• The Maiden and the Python of Idemili
• The Lost Coral Beads of Benin
• The Salt Carrier of Awe
• Why the Vulture Has a Bald Head
• Why Ants Carry Bundles – Igbo Version
• The Woman with Two Skins – Yoruba Version
• Why the Bat Flies by Night – Hausa Version
• Why the Bat Flies by Night – Akan Version
• The Tortoise with a Pretty Daughter – Igbo Version
• The Lucky Fisherman – Yoruba Version
• The Wise Hawk and the Owl
• The Drummer and the Alligators
• The King Adam\’s Test
• The Election of the King Bird
• The Foundling Hero
• The Two Sisters and the Cursed Prince
• The Moonlight and Sunlight
• The Chief\’s Daughter and Servant Girl
• Ekanem and the River Spirit\’s Daughter
• The Tortoise, the Dog, and the Farmer
• How the Chipmunk Got Its Stripes
• How Tortoise Captured the Elephant
• Ijapa and the Sky Feast
• The Tortoise, the Dog and the Farmer
• The Woman with Two Skins
• Ituen and the King\’s Wife
• The Clever Hunter\’s Trick
• The Tortoise\’s beautiful daughter
• How the Tortoise Overcame the Elephant and the Hippopotamus
• Of the Pretty Girl and the Seven Jealous Women
• Anansi and Nothing
• The Origin of Death
• Lion’s Defeat: A Nigerian Folktale about Pride and Humility
• Horse Cursed by Sun: A Nigerian Folktale
• Why Has Jackal a Long Black Stripe on His Back
• The Lion Who Took a Woman’s Shape
• The Lion Who Thought Himself Wiser Than His Mother
• How Tortoise Won by Losing – A Nigerian Folktale
• Why We Tell Stories About Spider
• The Wise Fool
• The Scarecrow: An African Folktale of Wisdom and Consequence
• Spider Finds a Fool – A West African Folktale
• The Magic Contest – A West African Folktale
• The Lucky Fisherman: A Folktale of Kindness and Reward
• The Power of the Temper
• How the Cannibals Drove the People from Insofan Mountain to the Cross River (Ikom Folktale)
• The Slave Girl Who Tried to Kill Her Mistress
• The Orphan Boy and the Magic Stone
• The ’Nsasak Bird and the Odudu Bird
• Concerning the Fate of Essido and His Evil Companions
• The King and the ’Nsiat Bird
• The King and the Juju Tree
• The Elephant and the Tortoise
• Why the Worms Live Underneath the Ground
• Of the Fat Woman Who Melted Away
• Why the Moon Waxes and Wanes
• The Leopard, Squirrel, and Tortoise.
• The Story of Lightning and Thunder
• The Affair of the Hippopotamus and the Tortoise
• Why Dead People are Buried
• Why the Sun and the Moon Live in the Sky
• Why a Hawk Kills Chickens
• Of the Pretty Stranger Who Killed the King
• The Fish and the Leopard’s Wife
• Why the Bat is Ashamed to be Seen in the Daytime
• Why the Cat Kills Rats
• Why the Flies Bother the Cows
• How a Hunter Obtained Money from the Leopard, Goat, Bush Cat, and Cock
• The Tortoise with a Pretty Daughter
• Ituen and the King’s Wife
• The Woman, the Ape, and the Child
• The King Who Married the Cock’s Daughter
• Why the Bat is Ashamed to Be Seen in the Daytime
• The Disobedient Daughter Married a Skull
• Why the Bat Flies by Night
• The Clever Dog and the Trickster Tortoise
• The Woman Who Married a Ghost
• The Hunter and the Spirit of the River
• How the Tortoise Broke His Shell
• The Leopard and the Goat’s Friendship
• The Talking Drum That Chose Its Master
• The Palm Wine Tapper and the Trickster Tortoise
• The Hunter and the Magical Antelope
• The Yam Farmer and the Spirit of the Forest
• The Palm Wine Tapper and the Forest God
• How the Sun and Moon Became Enemies
• The Girl Who Danced with the Spirits
• The Tortoise and the Feast in the Sky
• The Drum of Thunder
• The River Maiden
• The Clever Tortoise
• The Talking Drum
• The River That Swallowed a Village
• The Frog and the Moon
• The Leopard’s Whisker
• The Crocodile and the Sunbird