Short description
A collection of some of the oldest African tales, selected by Nelson Mandela, former president of South Africa, which presents such themes as cunning animals, magic spells, and people who change forms.
Long description
THE VIBRANT TRADITION of African folktales--an oral heritage that predates Ovid and Aesop--is long and varied, but to date it has been largely overlooked in the West. Aware of this gap, Nelson Mandela selected thirty-two stories, many of them translated from their original tongues, to show the seminal role of African folklore in world literature. We meet tricksters from Zulu folklore; we hear the voices of the scheming hyena and learn from a Khoi fable how animals acquired their tails and horns. These fables present a veritable bible of stories universal in their portrayal of humanity, beasts and the mystical.
Review
Nelson Mandela's favorite stories have become the common property of us all.