South-African Folk-Tales

The anthology gathers a lively assortment of South‑African animal fables, drawn mainly from Bushmen tradition and later woven together with Hottentot, Zulu and even Dutch threads. Each story preserves the cadence of its original oral telling, offering listeners a glimpse of the plains, the desert and the riverbanks where these creatures once roamed in imagination. The introduction explains the tangled history of the tales, noting how they have travelled across languages while keeping their core humor and caution.

From clever jackals outwitting lions to turtles devising daring hunts, the narratives sparkle with wit, mischief and subtle moral guidance. The animal cast speaks in a plain yet vivid style that invites both children and adults to reflect on virtues such as cleverness, pride, and fairness. As a window into a culture where storytelling is both entertainment and a record of communal values, the collection feels like an oral safari for the ears.