African Folk Tales Read online

The man who had been collecting wood ran to the town and delivered the message. When the king heard the news he and several of his followers rode out to meet Mullum, whom they met walking along a path in the forest, on his way to their town. Mullum and the king greeted each other.

  “Have you seen my horse?” Mullum asked.

  “Perhaps,” the king replied.

  “Is my horse in your town?” Mullum asked.

  “It may be,” said the king.

  Mullum demanded that his horse be returned.

  “Be patient,” said the king.

  Mullum said he would go to the town to look. The king agreed, and they returned to the town.

  “Here is a house for you to rest in,” the king said to Mullum, “and here is fire and water and food. Sleep, for night is coming. Tomorrow we shall talk about the horse.”

  Mullum was unwilling to wait, but he knew that only by some trick, cunning, or good fortune would he and his horse be freed. He went into the house and found it comfortable. He tasted the food and found it good. He finished it, and then he lay down on his mat and went to sleep.

  As Mullum slept, he dreamt that he saw a beautiful girl standing near him. He woke up from the dream and found that morning had come, and that there really was a beautiful girl standing near him.

  “Who are you?” he asked her.

  “I am a princess,” she replied. “The king of this town is my father.”

  He woke up from the dream and found there really was a beautiful girl standing near him.

  “Will you marry me?” Mullum asked her.

  “Yes, if you ask my father’s permission,” said the princess, and she ran lightly away back to the king’s palace.

  Mullum went to see the king and asked for permission to marry the princess.

  “I will give permission,” said the king, “if you promise me that you will never fight against us again, and if war does arise between my country and the country of your king, you must let my daughter, the princess, return.”

  Mullum agreed to the king’s conditions, and he also asked that his horse be given back to him.

  “Take my daughter and take your horse,” said the king. Mullum thanked the king. “Remember your promise to return my daughter if there is war,” the king repeated.

  Mullum left the town and went back through the forest to his own country, together with his horse and with the beautiful princess.

  For half a year Mullum and the beautiful princess lived happily together. Then war began between the people of the princess’s country and the people of Mullum’s country. The father of the princess sent a message that she must be sent back to him without delay.

  “I must go,” said the princess to Mullum.

  “Yes, it has been my promise,” Mullum said. “Now there is war, so you must go back.”

  Preparations were made for the departure of the princess. Before she left, Mullum gave her a small square envelope made of leather which had been dyed red, and inside it was a magic charm.

  “You will soon have a child,” Mullum told the princess. “If you hang this leather envelope around the child’s neck, there will be fame and fortune for the child during the child’s life.”

  Mullum then said farewell to the princess, saying at the end, “If you give birth to a boy, I should like to know. Please send me a message.”

  The princess said she would do as she was asked. So saying, she started on her journey back through the forest to the town where her father was king.

  The princess safely reached the town and the palace of her father the king, who welcomed her, and gave her a room of her own.

  Not long afterwards the princess gave birth to a boy. Around his neck she hung the envelope of red leather which Mullum had given her so that there would be fame and fortune during his life. But the princess was deceitful, for she sent a message to Mullum saying that their child was a girl, and not a boy.

  The child of the princess was given the name of Sahabi; he grew up to be strong and of good character.

  “Tell me,” he asked the princess, “who was my father?”

  “He is still alive,” the princess replied. “He is the chief of the soldiers in the next king’s country and he is a famous fighter.”

  Sahabi himself was becoming well known as a fighter as he grew older, and he determined that he would go to the next king’s country. He thought, “I shall conquer that country, and when I have done so, I shall make my father the king.”

  Sahabi made preparations for war, gathering soldiers about him. They went to the near-by kingdom, and after a battle they conquered that country. Sahabi captured that country’s king.

  “You are now my slave,” said Sahabi to the captured king, “and I shall take you to show my father.”

  Before Sahabi could reach the town where his father lived, news reached the town that a strong young leader of soldiers from the country of their enemies had captured the king and was on his way to attack the town. It was Mullum who was chosen to lead the soldiers against the invaders. He had his famous black horse brought to him, and he called together his own soldiers.

  The next day the two armies met. Mullum saw Sahabi and Sahabi saw Mullum, but they did not know that they were father and son. There was much fighting. The soldiers of one country fought the soldiers of the other country. Mullum and Sahabi fought each other. At the end of the day, all were weary, and each side withdrew to their camps for the night.

  Mullum saw for the first time the envelope of red leather around Sahabi’s neck.

  On the following day the armies approached each other again. Sahabi called to Mullum.

  “Leader of the enemy,” he called. “What is your name?”

  Mullum would not answer, for he was proud. He did not wish to speak with the enemy. When the fighting started once more, Sahabi, with his growing strength, knocked Mullum from his horse (which had become old and slow) and was about to kill him.

  “Let me rise and fight again,” Mullum cried. “It is not bravery to kill a man at the first blow.”

  Sahabi allowed Mullum to rise from the ground, and the fighting between them continued. Then Sahabi fell to the ground. Mullum drew his battle-axe and cut Sahabi across the chest.

  “Alas,” cried Sahabi. “All my attempts have failed. All my plans have been in vain. Now I am killed in battle in my search for my father Mullum.”

  At once Mullum realized that he had been fighting with his own son, and he saw for the first time around the neck of Sahabi the envelope of red leather which he had given to the princess for her child when she had gone back to her father.

  Mullum sent a message to his own king asking for a special medicine that would help Sahabi, but the king refused, saying, “I will not try to save an enemy like Sahabi.” When Sahabi died, his soldiers fled back into the forest from which they had come.

  “Never shall I fight again,” Mullum declared. “Through being a soldier I have lost my son.”

  And he lived as a peaceful man for the rest of his life.

  A Good Fortune in Camels

  A LI WAS a man who longed to go out into the world to see strange lands and seek his fortune.

  He said to his wife, “Tomorrow I shall go out into the world.”

  She did not want him to go, but she was too wise to try to stop him.

  The next morning, Ali set out on foot and walked until he found someone who would employ him for a short time. From that job he went to find another and then another, and so on until he had visited many strange lands. Of the money that he earned, he spent one-third on food and saved the other two-thirds. At last his thrift was rewarded and he was able to buy three camels with his savings.

  As Ali was walking along with his three camels, he met another traveller.

  “Greetings,” said the traveller.

  “Greetings to you,” Ali answered.

  They told each other where they came from and then the traveller said, “If you give me a present, I shall tell you something of value.
”

  Ali gave the traveller one of the three camels.

  “Do not go across any river which you do not know,” said the traveller. “Wait until someone else goes first.”

  The man thanked the traveller, saying he was grateful for the advice. After going a short way, Ali met another traveller. They also greeted each other, and then the second traveller said, “If you give me a present, I shall tell you something of value.”

  Ali gave the traveller one of the two remaining camels.

  “Do not rest,” the traveller warned, “under a tree which has a big hole in it.”

  Ali thanked him, saying he was grateful for the advice. When Ali continued his journey, he met a young boy. After they had greeted each other the young boy said, “If you give me a present, I shall tell you something of value.”

  When Ali continued his journey, he met a young boy.

  So Ali gave the young boy his last camel.

  “Be patient,” said the boy. “Do not show your first feelings of anger.”

  Ali thanked him, saying he was grateful for the advice. They parted and Ali, with no more camels, went on his way. He had not gone far before he met two camel drivers with thirty camels.

  “Please help us with our camels,” the camel drivers asked Ali, “so that each of us will have ten camels to lead.”

  Ali agreed and the three of them set off together with the camels. They came to a river which had flooded the fields on each side of its banks. The first camel driver took off his clothes and entered the water to look for the crossing. He fell into a deep part of the river and was not seen again. So the second camel driver and Ali did not cross there, but went on and found a safe crossing.

  On the other side of the river they came to a forest. By that time the sun was setting and the men were tired. They looked for suitable trees to shelter them for the night. The camel driver took his sleeping mat and put it under a tree with a big hole in it. But Ali remembered the advice he had received and he moved away from that tree. In the middle of the night, a large snake came out of the hole in the tree and killed the sleeping camel driver.

  When daybreak came, Ali saw what had happened. He was very sad and sorry for the two camel drivers. He set out and asked everyone he met if they knew where the camel drivers lived. He wanted to return the camels to their families. But no one could tell him and he lost patience. He controlled his anger, however. In time he realized that no one knew where the camel drivers had lived.

  So Ali collected the thirty camels and went back to his own part of the country, to his home and to his wife. She was overjoyed to see him.

  “You have not only seen much of the world,” said his wife, “but you have returned safely.”

  “Yes,” Ali replied, “and my good fortune in camels will bring us riches for the rest of our lives.”

  The Fisherman and the Ring

  ALONG TIME ago there lived a young man whose father was a teacher.

  “I wish to be a fisherman,” said the young man to his father. The father protested, for he thought that his son would not make much money nor become well known. But when he saw that his son was determined, he reluctantly gave him his blessing.

  Thereupon the young man bought nets and all the equipment that fishermen need. Then he built himself a hut by the river. At first he caught few fish, but with practice he became more successful and caught many more. The young man sold his fish in the market and gave the money to his father.

  Then war came to that district.

  “Help to defend our people,” said the teacher to his son. So the young man left his fishing, took up his bow, his arrows and his spear and successfully fought the marauding enemies. By the time the fighting was over, there had been many losses in the village. But the young man survived and he returned to the river and became a fisherman again.

  One day the son was in his canoe on the river when he saw a movement on the surface of the water. Quickly he threw his net and caught a fish that was bright red. To his surprise, the fish spoke to him, for no fish had ever spoken to him before.

  “Do not kill me,” begged the fish.

  “All right,” said the fisherman. “Just this once I will let you go.”

  “Thank you,” said the fish. “For your kindness you deserve a reward.”

  “I should like money,” said the fisherman, putting the fish back into the river.

  The fish swam away, returning after a short time with a ring in his mouth.

  “Take this ring,” said the fish. “You can buy anything you want with what the ring gives you.”

  With trembling hands the fisherman took the red fish’s ring. Excitedly he returned to the shore and rushed into his hut by the river bank. After closing the door, he turned the ring in his hand and said, “Please may I have money to buy a new boat?” Money appeared before him.

  “May I have some to give to my father?” More money appeared before him. The fisherman ran back to his village and to his father. He became the richest man in that village and the last days of the old teacher’s life were happy because his son had become so successful.

  Then war came again to that district. The village was attacked. During the fighting the fisherman called to his ring, “Oh, ring, turn our village which they are attacking into the place of destruction for our enemies. Turn our attackers into stone.”

  Immediately the enemy were turned into a mountain which one can see behind the village. To this day the villagers speak of the fisherman, the talking fish and his magic ring.

  The Magic Crocodile

  THERE WAS once a very big cave. It was divided into two parts, the top part being dry and the bottom part filled with water. In the bottom part there lived a crocodile.

  The crocodile did not live alone in the cave, for various other wild animals stayed there too. They lived in the dry part and various water creatures swam in the part which was filled with water. The crocodile spent most of his time in the water, but sometimes he would emerge from the cave for a short distance.

  One day a hunter went near the cave in search of animals. He saw the crocodile resting in the sunshine outside the mouth of the cave. The hunter aimed his bow and arrow at the crocodile but immediately his eyes became blind.

  When the hunter let the arrow fall from the bow his eyes opened again. He could see the crocodile smiling with pleasure at the cleverness of his trick.

  The hunter did not stay, but ran back to his village and told the people what had happened.

  “As I pointed my arrow at the crocodile,” the hunter declared, “I became blind. The arrow fell out of my bow and then I could see again.”

  The people in the village grew very excited. Nearly half of them took up their bows and arrows and went off towards the cave.

  “We shall catch that crocodile,” they all shouted.

  When the villagers came near the cave they saw the crocodile where the hunter had seen it, resting in the sunshine outside the cave. The very moment that each villager put an arrow in his bow and aimed at the crocodile, he became blind.

  The villagers saw the crocodile resting in the sun outside the cave.

  “Take your arrows from your bows,” cried the hunter, and when they did so, the eyes of the villagers could see again.

  “No man can harm me,” said the crocodile, looking at the villagers. He got up from his resting-place and went back into the cave where all the animals praised him for guarding them so well.

  “We will live our own lives in our village,” declared the disappointed villagers as they returned to their homes. “That crocodile will remain in his cave. There is nothing we can do to change this.”

  However, some of the young men were not satisfied with this. From time to time, an exceptionally brave youth would return to the cave determined to kill the crocodile. But he never succeeded.

  “Be blind with your bows and arrows,” said the crocodile with a smile. Neither he nor the villagers had ever seen or heard of guns in those days long ago.
r />   The Contest between Fire and Rain

  ONCE UPON A TIME there was a king who had a beautiful daughter. Her beauty increased as she grew to the age of marriage and she was considered to be the most beautiful girl in the world.

  Many men wanted to marry the king’s daughter, but the first two to ask for her in marriage were Fire and Rain.

  Rain went first to the king’s daughter to ask if she would marry him, and she agreed; but Fire had gone first to the king to ask to be allowed to marry his daughter, and the king had agreed.

  The king sent word that his daughter was to come to see him.

  “I have promised to give you in marriage to Fire,” the king told her when she came into his room.

  “Your Majesty,” the king’s daughter replied, “but I have already promised to marry Rain.”

  “What shall we do?” cried the king and his daughter. “We are caught between two promises.”

  It was then that Rain arrived in order to visit the king’s daughter; soon after that Fire arrived with the same intention. Rain and Fire were each determined to outwit the other.

  Then the king said, “I have decided on the day of marriage for my daughter.”

  “To me?” asked Fire.

  “To me?” asked Rain.

  “To the winner of a race on the day of the marriage,” said the king. “To him I will give my daughter.”

  There was great excitement amongst the people. Some said Fire would win; others said Rain would win. The king’s daughter said to herself that whoever won the race, she would keep her promise to marry Rain.

  When the day came for the race and for the marriage, it was very windy. The king made a sign and a drum was beaten. The race began. At first Fire was winning, for he was carried rapidly along by the wind. As for Rain, there was no sign of him in the sky. Fire continued to race faster and faster until it seemed to everyone that he would certainly win. When Fire had almost reached the place where the king sat with his daughter, Rain was at last seen preparing himself in the sky. It seemed to everyone, however, that he was too late. But when Fire was just about to win the race, Rain started to fall very heavily. Fire was quenched before he could reach the end of the race and Rain was declared the winner.