Reading Notes: South African Folktales, Part B

The Dance for Water

• The Rabbit did not help the other animals get water, yet he still drank from it, so they decided to catch him on the tortoise's shell with sticky pitch
• As punishment, they swung him by the tail to dash his head against stone, but he escaped

Jackal and Monkey

• Jackal stole lamb from Boer at night and was caught in a trap that he set until Monkey came by and he convinced him he was only swinging and that it was fun
• Could rewrite the story so Jackal doesn't convince Monkey to try to swing and Jackal is caught

The Story of Hare

• Could expand on one of the stories of the inkalimeva tricking the animals to steal all the fat

Elephant and Tortoise

• Elephant argued with Rain and Rain left, so he made the tortoise keep watch over the one lagoon of water left and deny all other animals (except the lion who beat the tortoise)
• Could rewrite the story from Rain's point of view watching Elephant suffer after arguing

The Judgment of Baboon

• Baboon assembled all the animals who denied tearing the clothes of the tailor and made them punish each other when they pleaded their innocence

When Lion Could Fly

• Lion used to be able to fly until Frog came and broke all of the bones of his spoils of hunting
• Great Frog said that he must find him at his home to return and there the played a game of Frog jumping around and Lion sneaking up on it, which Lion still does today
• Could add to the story that the lion caught the great frog and the power of flight was restored

(Lion that used to be able to fly)

Lion Who Thought Himself Wiser Than His Mother

• Lion and the Only Man fought over water from a rain and even though Lion's mother warned him not to face the man, Lion ambushed him at the water
• The Man's dogs attacked Lion and he was speared by the Man and left to die
• Could make the Lion and Man actually settle the dispute and compromise as friends

Lion Who Took a Woman's Shape

• A Woman and Lion hunted each other until the Lion ate the woman and left her skin whole so that he could take her place and went to her family
• No one knew until the cows refused to be milked so the people of the kraal removed the hut where the lion was sleeping and cast a spell to Fire to remove the heart, which became alive
• Could rewrite the story from the woman's perspective when she came back to life

Bibliography:
South African Folktales by the nomadic and San people (bushmen) of South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, and Zimbabwe