The Orphan Girl and Other Stories: West African Folk Tales
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PrefaceixAcknowledgementsxiiIntroduction1BeninThe Serpent Groom30Burkina FasoHow the Crab Got Its Shell37CameroonThe Crown Made of Smoke43Tricks for Tat47Cote D'IvoireForiwa's Beads55The GambiaFereyel and Debbo Engal the Witch61The Horse with the Golden Dung70GhanaA Bride for a Grain of Corn77Animal Language84Finders Keepers93Why Man and Fox Are Enemies98GuineaThe Origin of Death104Guinea-BissauThe Most Suitable Name109LiberiaThe Origin of War114The River Demon118MaliThe Origin of Creation124MauritaniaThe Magic Silk Cotton Tree129NigerFor Your Ears Only136NigeriaApunanwu142Everyone146How the Tortoise Paid His Creditors153The Calabash Child157The Hunter and the Lion162The Latchkey Prince165Why Leopards Hunt Deer171The Magic Drum176The Magic Wand182The Orphan Girl188The Power of One195The Rubber Man198The Talking Tree203The Tortoise and the Pig207The Tug-of-War212Why the Hawk Preys on Chicks217Why the Kite Chases Forest Fires221Why Mosquitoes Buzz226You Asked for It232SenegalThe Majestic Fish238Sierra LeoneThe Mother in the Clouds244Who Is the Greatest Thief?248TogoHow the Pig Got Its Snout252Glossary257Index of Stories by Subject259
\ Library JournalKent State professor and storyteller Offodile gathered these folktales, some familiar and some new, from Nigeria (his homeland) and other West African countries. His goal was to collect the stories of the elders before they were completely forgotten. Offodile introduces the collection with a brief discussion of the varied cultures of the region and the function of both story and teller in these societies. The tales are then arranged by country in alphabetical order, each section beginning with a map showing the country's continental location and a page of basic information on its geography and society. There are far more stories from Offodile's native Nigeria than from anywhere else, but the entire region is represented. A glossary and an index of stories by subject is included. Recommended as a solid edition of folktale collections for public and academic libraries, this is also appropriate for middle and high school libraries. Katherine Kaigler-Koenig, Ellis Sch., Pittsburgh Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.\ \ \ \ \ BooknewsIn this collection of 41 stories from West Africa, each country is presented by several stories, a map, and country statistics on size, population, ethnic groups, and languages. An introduction explores the roots of the storytelling tradition in the history and culture of West Africa. To compile these tales, Offodile, a professor at Kent State University, drew from his own childhood experiences growing up in West Africa and interviewed village elders who remembered old stories. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)\ \
