Tales from Beneath the Baobab
Introducing Fables
Tales
Tales from
from Beneath
Beneath the
the Baobab
Baobab
Where is your favourite place
to listen to a story?
Tales
the Baobab
Tales Under
from Beneath
the Baobab
In the countryside
of Burkina Faso,
the mighty
baobab tree
provides a
perfect, shady
place to gather
and listen to a
story together.
Tales
the Baobab
Tales Under
from Beneath
the Baobab
In Burkina Faso, and all over
Africa, stories are very
important. They are not only
for fun, but for education.
Tales
the Baobab
Tales Under
from Beneath
the Baobab
In Burkina Faso, and all over
Africa, stories are very
important. They are not only
for fun, but for education.
Adults tell children stories to
teach them how to behave,
how to treat others and how to
keep themselves safe.
Tales
the Baobab
Tales Under
from Beneath
the Baobab
In Burkina Faso, and all over
Africa, stories are very
important. They are not only
for fun, but for education.
Adults tell children stories to
teach them how to behave,
how to treat others and how to
keep themselves safe.
These kinds of stories are
passed on from generation to
generation. They are often
spoken, rather than written
down.
Tales
the Baobab
Tales Under
from Beneath
the Baobab
What is a fable?
Tales
the Baobab
Tales Under
from Beneath
the Baobab
What is a fable?
A fable is a story with
animal characters. It is
a story which teaches
us a lesson, sometimes
called a moral.
Tales
the Baobab
Tales Under
from Beneath
the Baobab
Have you heard a fable before?
Tales
the Baobab
Tales Under
from Beneath
the Baobab
Have you heard a fable before?
The Ant and the
Grasshopper
The Hare and the Tortoise
A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing
The Goose with the
Golden Eggs
Tales
the Baobab
Tales Under
from Beneath
the Baobab
You are going to
hear a fable from
Burkina Faso. The
landscape there is
dry, as it is close to
the Sahara desert.
Tales
the Baobab
Tales Under
from Beneath
the Baobab
You are going to
hear a fable from
Burkina Faso. The
landscape there is
dry, as it is close to
the Sahara desert.
What kinds of
animal characters
do you think will
appear in a fable
here?
Tales
the Baobab
Tales Under
from Beneath
the Baobab
The Hyena and the Monkeys
Listen to the Story:
What do you think
it is trying to teach
us? (the moral)
.
The Hyena and the Monkeys
The Hyena Gbongo screamed with hunger, her stomach
growling with pain. Desperate for food, she decided at
last to meet with Hyena Mygale (a wise, trusted Oracle)
and learn from his wisdom.
‘Take a drum, a pot and some fire, and go to find the
monkeys’, the Oracle advised. The Hyena Gbongo
thought for a moment, then, with a sly grin, took a drum
and a pot and went out into the woods. Carefully, she
filled her big, black boiling pot full of water, lit a small fire
and began to beat her drum. It did not take long before
the monkeys heard the enchanting rhythm and started to
arrive.
‘Approach, friends, approach’, the Hyena Gbongo chanted
persuasively. ‘Come, cook in my big, black boiling pot and
you shall resist both disease and the deadly arrows of
man’.
.
Captivated,
no-one thought to question the word of the
Hyena, and one-by-one the monkeys came closer. All
except one, Kpa, leader of the pack. He hung back from the
group, a knowing smile spreading across his face. He had
heard of the Hyena’s tricks before.
‘Come my friends, and enter here’ Hyena Gbongo called,
unable to believe her luck. She held the lid to the big, black,
boiling pot high above her head and danced with joy.
The monkeys rushed towards the pot and, as quick as a
flash, the Hyena Gbongo slammed down the lid and stirred
the fire. The monkeys were trapped, and had no way to
escape. All that is, except Kpa, who had already fled
towards his home.
Learn, dear friends, that the bush is a vast area without law.
Think carefully, be wary of predators and alert to danger.
With intelligence you shall survive.