Week 9: Reading notes part b West Africa Folktales

West Africa FolkTales

Bibliography: West African Folktales by William h. Barker and Cecilia Sinclair, with drawings by Cecilia Sinclair (1917)

Image: Photo by Miriam Miles on Unsplash

chief Mauri wanted to have a splendid yam festival
he invited everyone around
Mr. Klo, the tortoise, was a tall and handsome fellow was sent to buy palm wine
directed to the palm fields of Koklovi, the chicken
Klo was a speedy traveler
Klo told Koklovi why he was there, Koklovi told him that no one could buy his wine but would have to fight for it
both were strong fighters, and the fight lasted for several hours
Klo won
he filled his great pot with wine, foolishly drinking what would not fit. then piled the palm trees on his back and set out for the palace with the pot of wine
from drinking the wine he became sleepy, and it started to rain
traveling back was much slower than on the way to Koklovi
by the time Klo returned back the gates were closed
singing and dancing in the hall masked Klo's knocks on the gate
it rained for 2 months
Klo had died under a load of his great pot and palm trees
people were amazed by the great mound, they fetched spades and began to shovel the pile way
at the bottom, they found Klo and his earthenware pot with dust had caked together and formed a hardcover on his back
Klo was restored to life once in the palace.
he was never able to stand upright again, just creeping around with a great shell on his back

hunter went farther than normal
a new part of the forest
heard music that charmed the hunter's heart
the singing was coming from a tortoise
he hunter kept returning
one day he convinced the tortoise to let him carry her back to his hut
she allowed it but only she sang to him alone
the hunter shortly began telling everyone until it reached the chief of his tortoise
no one believed him
the next day the hunter presented the tortoise to the crowd of people
the tortoise did not play for hours
night came and brought the hunters doom
the hunter was beheaded, then the tortoise spoke
the tortoise explained that the hunter brought his fate on to himself