Wisahketchahk and the Shut-Eye Dancers

Wisahketchahk was hungry.  Then he saw geese... ducks... food!
So Wisahketchahk began to sing.
"What's that song?" asked the birds.
"It's the Shut-Eye-Dance song!" replied Wisahketchahk.
"Please teach us this dance!" begged the foolish birds.
Wisahketchahk smiled. He built a lodge and invited them in.
"Shut your eyes while I'm singing," he said, and the birds shut their eyes.
Wisahketchahk sang. The birds danced. 
One by one Wisahketchahk strangled the birds.
But Helldiver opened his eyes... and saw. 
"Wisahketchahk's killing us!" he squawked, running away with the other bird survivors.
Wisahketchahk just laughed. "Run! I've got plenty of food now!"


Inspired by: "The Shut-Eye Dancers" in Sacred Stories of the Sweet Grass Cree by Leonard Bloomfield, 1930.
Notes: You can read the original story in both Cree and English translation online at the Internet Archive, and also information about the storytellers; this story was told by Coming-Day, who was an old man when Bloomfield collected these stories in 1925 on the Sweetgrass Reserve in Saskatchewan. You can find out more about Wisahketchahk at Wikipedia, and you can find out more about the red-necked grebe, a.k.a. Helldiver here: National Wildlife Federation: Helldiver, This is a very famous trickster tale, and you can find similar stories told about other tricksters of the Plains and beyond. There's a sequel to the story too where Fox arrives and ends up getting to eat all the geese and ducks that Wisahketchahk has killed; in other versions of the story, it is Coyote who gets all the food in the end.
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The Return of the Sun

Each morning Sun shone down on the Wampanoag people, but they squinted and put their hands over their faces.
Angry at their reaction, the Sun refused to rise again.
"Help!" the people shouted. "Save us from the darkness."
Maushop the Giant heard them and walked across the Ocean to find Sun. 
When Sun refused to return, Maushop asked Spider to spin a net, and then Maushop caught Sun in the net and carried him back to Wampanoag country. 'The Wampanoag people rejoiced to see Sun again, and each morning they give thanks, so the Sun returns happily again and again.

Inspired by: "Greeting the Sun, A Maushop Story (Wampanoag)" in Four Ancestors: Stories, Songs, and Poems from Native North America by Joseph Bruchac, 1996.
Notes: You can read the original story online at the Internet Archive. In the original story there is more detail, like Maushop being able to cross the ocean in just a few steps, and how he visits the Wampanoag people before going to visit the Sun, stepping carefully so he does not crush them underfoot in the dark. You can read more about the Wampanoag people at Wikipedia.


sunrise photo by Robert Laliberte at Flickr
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Tiny Tales from Africa: The Animals 1

VOLUME 1 - Go to Volume 2
Welcome to Tiny Tales from Africa: The Animals (volume 1). This is a collection of two hundred stories from Africa featuring animal characters, and each story is just 100 words long. And... Volume 2 is available now also! 

In addition, you might also be interested in The Reader's Guide to African Folklore at the Internet Archive, and also Texts of African Proverbs and Riddles in the Public Domain.

Creative Commons. This work is released with a Creative Commons license: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. That means you can remix and reuse individual stories or the contents of the whole book with attribution for non-commercial purposes, provided that you release your work with the same license. Find out more.
Attribution: Tiny Tales from Africa: The Animals (volume 1) by Laura Gibbs.
Version: October 30 2021


You can access the book in a variety of formats, along with individual stories here at the blog; see story title list and links below. You can also find the online sources and image credits listed separately.

Pressbooks. This is a web-based presentation of the book with all the stories on one page.

PDF. You can download a PDF copy of the book.

EPUB. You can use this EPUB file for ebook readers like Nook, etc. You can also read epubs on your Kindle.

HTML. If you want to read a web-based presentation, this is a clean and simple HTML version. This version is also useful if you want to copy-and-paste some or all of the content to adapt for your own purposes (see CC-licensing information above).

Audiobook. There is a free audiobook available at SoundCloud. I'll also be releasing the mp3 files available for download if you prefer not to use SoundCloud; I'll update this page when those files are available.

Randomizer. You can see the stories displayed at random, and you can also copy-and-paste the javascript code if you want to use the randomizer in your own blog or website.

Internet Archive. There is a copy of the book at the Internet Archive which is great for searching; you can page through the book based on search results, like "rabbit" for example:


Kindle. You can purchase a Kindle edition from Amazon for 99 cents.

Paperback. You can order a paperback edition from Amazon (free Prime shipping) for $6.25.

~ ~ ~

TINY TALES FROM AFRICA: THE ANIMALS
(volume 1)
A Book of Two Hundred 100-Word Stories


ABOUT THIS BOOK

This is the first in what I hope will be a long series of books about African animal tales. You will meet tricksters here like Rabbit (ancestor of Brer Rabbit and Tio Conejo), along with Tortoise, Spider, and more. There are “pourquoi” stories about why Bat flies at night and why Lemur’s eyes are big. There are also stories of magical transformations, like the woman who became a lion. The stories come from many different African traditions; see the list of sources in the back of the book. You can find out more and also listen to an audiobook at Africa.LauraGibbs.net.

The paragraph you just read is 100 words long, as is this paragraph, and that’s also the length of each story in this book. The stories go fast, but you can slow down when you find one you like. Read it again. Read it aloud. Let it sink in. Maybe even write your own version of the story, using your imagination to add more details. Meanwhile, if you don’t like a story, don’t get bogged down; just move on to the next one. You can find many more African animal tales, along with 100-word stories from other cultural traditions, at 100Words.LauraGibbs.net.

BLOG POSTS

The individual blog posts contain additional information for each story.

1. Greedy Spider and his Children.
2. Spider and the Singing Ghosts.
3. How the Monkeys Got Their Tails.
4. How the Animals Got Their Tails.
5. The Rabbits and the Elephants.
6. The Crocodile and the Leguan.
7. The Woman and Her Yams.
8. The Sun and the Jackal.
9. The Leopard and the Hyena.
10. The Parrot and the Hen.
11. The Lemur and the Shrew.
12. The First Fire.
13. The Animals and the Fire.
14. The Jackal Sends the Dog to Get Fire.
15. The Dogs of Long Ago.
16. The People and the Sea-Turtle.
17. Grandmother Crocodile.
18. The Hippopotamus and the Crocodile.
19. The Three Creatures.
20. The Ram and His Mother.
21. The Bat and the Dove.
22. The Cane-Rat and the Bat.
23. The Queen's Feast.
24. God and the Birds.
25. The Mosquito and the Ears.
26. The Tortoise and the Pig.
27. The Jackal and the Hyena.
28. The Elephant and the Rhinoceros.
29. The Little Frog and the Little Snake.
30. The Fish and the Leopard.
31. The Leopard and the Man.
32. Lion's Family and the Leopard.
33. The Flying Lion.
34. The First Lion.
35. The First Baboons.
36. The First Fish.
37. The First Snake.
38. The First Bird.
39. The Cattle and the Buffalo.
40. The Rabbit and the Moon.
41. The Chameleon and the Lizard.
42. The Dog and the Sheep.
43. The Dog's Message.
44. The People Who Wanted to Live Forever.
45. The Hyena Who Waited.
46. The Birds and their Servants.
47. The Dog and the Cow.
48. The Squirrel and the Viper.
49. The Frog and His Two Wives.
50. The Animals and the Rain.
51. The Frog and the Water.
52. The Boar and the Hog.
53. The Rooster and the Sun.
54. The Leopard and His Drum.
55. The Spider and Lion's Ram.
56. The Spider in the Storeroom.
57. When the Jackal and the Hyena Were Servants.
58. King Lion and the Corn-Thief.
59. The Rabbit, the Baboon, and the Peanuts.
60. The Wildcat and the Monkey.
61. The Wildcat's Revenge.
62. The Birds' Fasting Contest.
63. The Elephant and the Rooster.
64. The Elephant and the Goat.
65. The Elephant and the Tortoise.
66. The Frog and the Deer.
67. The Chameleon and the Elephant.
68. The Rabbit and the Chameleon.
69. The Elephant and the Frog.
70. The People and the Turtle.
71. The Monkey and the Leopard.
72. The Jackal and the Rooster.
73. The Hunter and the Leopard.
74. The Lioness and the Chicks of the Ostrich.
75. The Gorilla and the Monkey.
76. The Wildcat and the Nightjar.
77. The Pious Cat and the Mouse.
78. The Leopard and the Dog.
79. The Woman and the Rabbit.
80. The Rabbit and the Antelope.
81. The Swallow and the Rooster.
82. The Rooster and the Swallow.
83. The Hen and the Rabbit.
84. The Rabbit and the Deer.
85. The Rabbit Visits the Baboon.
86. The Wildcat and the Gazelle.
87. The Tortoise and the Bat.
88. The Dog and the Chimpanzee.
89. The Tortoise and the Baboon.
90. The Leopard and the Python.
91. The Tortoise, the Elephant and the Hippo.
92. The Antelope and the Tortoise.
93. The Giraffe and the Tortoise.
94. The Tortoise and the Guinea-Fowl.
95. The Tortoise and the Hawk.
96. The Tortoise and the Hawk's Mother.
97. The Tortoise and the Leopard.
98. A Husband for the Princess.
99. The King's Magic Drum.
100. The Tortoise and the Magic Drum.
101. The Tortoise's Revenge.
102. The Tortoise and the Magic Breadfruit.
103. The Spider and the Cobweb.
104. The Spider's Funeral.
105. Anansi the Spider and God.
106. Anansi and the Snake.
107. Anansi and the Leopard.
108. The Elephant and the Spider.
109. The Elephant and the Honey.
110. The Elephant and the Rabbit Plant Pumpkins.
111. The Rabbit and His Drum.
112. When the Rabbit and the Antelope Were Neighbors.
113. The Rabbit and the Leopard.
114. The Rabbit and the Old Woman.
115. The Animals and Their Dance.
116. The Rabbit and the Stepping-Stone.
117. The Rabbit's Punishment.
118. The Lion and the Rabbit.
119. The Rabbit and the Tortoise.
120. The Rabbit and the Earth.
121. The Bushbuck and the Rabbit.
122. The Rabbit and the Cloud-Islands.
123. The Hyena and the Muddy Rabbit.
124. The Farmer and the Rabbit.
125. The Scorpion and the Hyena.
126. The Jerboa and the Hyena.
127. The Hyena and Her Friends.
128. The Hyena and the Man.
129. The Hyena and the Crane.
130. The Lion's Illness.
131. The Jackal and the Fish-Wagon.
132. The Hyena and the Fish-Wagon.
133. The Wedding of the Jackal and the Hyena.
134. The Jackal and Hyena's Wedding Feast.
135. The Jackal and the Goat.
136. The Dove and the Jackal.
137. The Jackal and the Heron.
138. The Dog and the Jackal at the Wedding Feast.
139. The Leopard and the Bloodthirsty Jackal.
140. The Cat and the Leopard.
141. The Rat and the Fish.
142. The Tortoise and the Mushrooms.
143. The Elephant in the Swamp.
144. The Hyena and the Moon.
145. The Chameleon and the Snake.
146. The Proud Wren.
147. The Francolin and the Tortoise.
148. The Eagle and the Leopard.
149. The Lion and the Crocodile.
150. The Young Lion's Revenge.
151. The Rat and the Crocodile.
152. The Sheep's New Dress.
153. The Python with Two Heads.
154. The Snake and the Rat.
155. The Partridge and the Puff-Adder.
156. The Leopard and the Goat.
157. The Lioness and the Antelope.
158. The Crocodile and the Hen.
159. The Fruit-Bat's Funeral.
160. The Lioness and The Ostrich.
161. The Fox and the Rooster.
162. The Dog Who Would Be King.
163. The Deer and the Pig.
164. The Hasty Tortoise.
165. The Tree That Blocked the Sun.
166. The Rhinoceros and the Bees.
167. The Python and the Guinea-Fowl.
168. The Lion and the Boar.
169. The King's Cat and His Rat.
170. The Disobedient Boy.
171. The Man Who Became an Elephant.
172. The Song of the Monkey.
173. The Woman Who Became a Lion.
174. The Woman and Her Suitors.
175. The Mother and Her Daughter.
176. The Baboon Who Became a Man.
177. The Bad-Tempered Wife.
178. The Woman Who Married a Crow.
179. The Woman and the Mysterious Bird.
180. The Woman Who Lost Her Way.
181. The Lost Boy.
182. The Woman Who Went Fishing.
183. The Farmer and the Baboon.
184. The Villagers and the Chimpanzee.
185. The Man Who Tracked a Gorilla.
186. The Crocodile and the Two Children.
187. The Deadly Crocodile.
188. The Hunter and the Deer.
189. The Dog and the Lizard.
190. The Hyena's Prophecy.
191. The Bird Who Made Milk.
192. The Grateful Python.
193. The Cowherd and the Antelope.
194. The Goat-Dung.
195. The Obstinate Child.
196. The Tortoise and HIs Debts.
197. The Camel and Her Seven Companions.
198. The Dog and the Pangolin.
199. The Sparrow and the Parrot.
200. The Danger of a Nonexistent Donkey.





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Tiny Tales from Africa: The Animals 2

Go to Volume 1 -  VOLUME 2
Welcome to Tiny Tales from Africa: The Animals (volume 2). This is a collection of two hundred stories from Africa featuring animal characters, and each story is just 100 words long. You can find volume 1 here too! 

Amazon: Kindle - Paperback

Creative Commons. This work is released with a Creative Commons license: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. That means you can remix and reuse individual stories or the contents of the whole book with attribution for non-commercial purposes, provided that you release your work with the same license. Find out more.
Attribution: Tiny Tales from Africa: The Animals (volume 2) by Laura Gibbs.
Version: January 20 2022


You can access the book in a variety of formats, along with individual stories here at the blog; see story title list and links below. You can also find the online sources and image credits listed separately. 

Pressbooks. This is a web-based presentation of the book with all the stories on one page.

PDF. You can download a PDF copy of the book.

EPUB. You can use this EPUB file for ebook readers like Nook, etc. You can also read epubs on your Kindle.

HTML. If you want to read a web-based presentation, this is a clean and simple HTML version. This version is also useful if you want to copy-and-paste some or all of the content to adapt for your own purposes (see CC-licensing information above).

Audiobook. There is a free audiobook available at SoundCloud. I'll also be releasing the mp3 files available for download if you prefer not to use SoundCloud; I'll update this page when those files are available.

Randomizer. You can see the stories displayed at random, and you can also copy-and-paste the javascript code if you want to use the randomizer in your own blog or website.

Internet Archive. There is a copy of the book at the Internet Archive which is great for searching. So, for example, here are the elephants.


Kindle. You can purchase a Kindle edition from Amazon for $1.99; I'll update this page when the Kindle is ready. (I'm not sure why it is $1.99 instead of the usual 99 cents; I think I may have crossed a file size threshold by using more images in the book this time.)

Paperback. You can order a paperback edition from Amazon (free Prime shipping) for $6.99.

~ ~ ~

TINY TALES FROM AFRICA: THE ANIMALS
(volume 2)
A Book of Two Hundred 100-Word Stories


ABOUT THIS BOOK
This is the second in a series of books featuring African animal tales. You’ll find many tricksters here: there’s Rabbit (the ancestor of Brer Rabbit and Tio Conejo), along with Tortoise, Spider, and also Mouse-Deer, Neotragus pygmaeus, an African antelope barely a foot tall. There are “pourquoi” stories like how Warthog got his tusks and how Crab got his shell, plus stories of magic and supernatural adventure. These tales come from many different African traditions; see the list of sources in the back of the book. For even more information about each story, plus a free audiobook version, go to:

The paragraph you just read is 100 words long, as is this paragraph, and that’s also the length of each story in this book. The stories go fast, but you can slow down when you find one you like. Read it again. Read it aloud. Let it sink in. Maybe even write your own version of the story, using your imagination to add more details. Meanwhile, if you don’t like a story, don’t get bogged down; just move on to the next one. You can find many more African animal tales, along with 100-word stories from other cultural traditions, here:

BLOG POSTS

The individual blog posts contain additional information for each story. 

1. Creator Gives Horns to the Animals
2. Why Chimpanzees Don't Have Farms
3. The Warthog and the Elephant
4. The Bird who Loved His Wife
5. The Beaks of the Kestrel and the Hornbill
6. The War of the Birds and the Snakes
7. The Mother of the Snakes
8. The Witch and the Crab
9. The Creation of Night
10. The Medicine of Immortality
11. The Bees and the Honeyguide Bird
12. The Bird Who Married a Bee
13. The Honeybadger and the Honeycomb
14. The Jackals and the Honeybadger's Beer
15. The Frog and the Elephant
16. The Lion and the Monkey
17. The Hen and the Hawk's Chick
18. The Hawk who Imitated the Hen
19. The Hippo who Imitated the Hen
20. The Elephant and the Child
21. The Donkeys Who Touch Noses
22. The Origin of the Suk-Suk Bird
23. The Chief and His People
24. The Origin of Baboons
25. The Origin of Chimpanzees
26. The Men Who Went Fishing
27. The Man Who Didn't Go to Funerals
28. The Man Who Loved Women
29. The Dove and the Handsome Man
30. Thunder and the Elephant
31. The Dispute of Night and Day
32. When People Returned from the Dead
33. The Bird Bearing God's Message
34. The Messages of the Chameleon and the Lizard
35. The Messages of the Chameleon and the Rabbit
36. The Moon's Messengers
37. The Baboon, the Python, and the Rabbit
38. When Rabbit and Baboon Were Friends
39. The Rabbit, the Lion, and the Ant-Hill
40. The Rabbit and the Lion Play a Game
41. The Rabbit and the Lion-Skin
42. The Rabbit and the Hyena
43. The Rabbit and the Hyena Go Hunting
44. The Rabbit and the Skunk
45. The Rabbit and the Elephant's Garden
46. The Rabbit, the Elephant, and the Hippo
47. The Rabbit Fools the Elephant (1)
48. The Rabbit Fools the Buffalo (2)
49. The Rabbit, the Leopard, and the Wolf
50. The Rabbit, the Hornbill, and the Party
51. The Rabbit, the Hornbill, and the Bread
52. The Rabbit, the Guinea-Fowl and the Farm
53. The Rabbit and the Bee
54. The Rabbit and The Python
55. The Rabbit, the Tortoise, and the Millet
56. The Rabbit, the Tortoise, and the Tunnel
57. The Rabbit and the Tortoise Run a Race
58. The Tortoise, the Elephant, and the Hippo
59. The Tortoise, the Buffalo, and the Elephant
60. The Tortoise and the Porcupine
61. The Tortoise and the Crane
62. Who Will Marry the King's Daughter?
63. Chimpanzee's Kola-Nuts
64. The Leopard's Kola-Tree
65. The Tortoise and His Kola-Nuts
66. When the Tortoise Wrestled the Leopard
67. The Tortoise and the Leopard Go Hunting
68. The Tortoise and the Leopard's Farm
69. The Leopard in the Tortoise's Garden
70. The Tortoise, the Leopard, and Their Drums
71. The Tortoise, the Leopard, and their Mothers
72. The Tortoise and the Antelope
73. The Tortoise and His Children
74. The Spider Puts on a Disguise (1)
75. The Spider, the Bushbuck, and the Rabbit (2)
76. The Wise Man, the Hyena, and the Spider (1)
77. The Spider, the Hyena, and the Saddle (2)
78. The Spider, The Hyena, and the Chain (3)
79. The Spider and the Deer
80. The Mouse-Deer and the King
81. The Mouse-Deer and the Medicine-Man
82. The Mouse-Deer and the Leopard
83. The Leopard and the Ram (1)
84. The Jackal, the Leopard, and the Ram (2)
85. The Leopard and the Goat
86. The Leopard and the Gazelle
87. The Leopard and His Dog
88. The Leopard and the Antelope's Wife
89. The Leopard and the Pangolin
90. The Leopard and the Cheetah
91. The Lion and the Fox
92. The Lion and the Baboon
93. The Lion and the Mule
94. The Lion and the Jackal
95. The Jackal and the Hyena
96. The Man and the Snake
97. The Hunter and the Antelope
98. The Scholar and the Monkey
99. The Mouse-Deer and the Python
100. The Squirrel and the Python
101. The Man Who Caught a Python
102. The Greedy Man and His Wife
103. The Fox and the Farmer
104. The Fox and the Raven
105. The Leopard and the Crane
106. The Birds Try to Shake the Tree
107. The Eagle, the Sparrow, and the Palm-Wine
108. The Bat and the Honey
109. The Jackal and the Rooster
110. The Rooster and the Wildcat
111. The Chicken and the Wildcat's Magical Charm
112. The Marriage of the Wildcat and the Chicken
113. The Wildcats and the Chickens
114. The Wildcat and the Rat
115. The Rat's Daughter and the Cat
116. The Lion and the Mouse
117. The Mice and the Cat
118. The Dog's Medicine
119. The Dog and the Fox Go to Town
120. The Dog and the Jackal
121. The Dog and the Goat
122. The Elephant, the Leopard, and the Goats
123. The Leopard and the Fox
124. The Old Leopard and the Goats
125. The Leopard and the Hawk
126. The Leopard and the Python
127. The Little Leopard and the Little Otter
128. King Leopard and the Deer
129. The Leopard and the Hyena
130. The Hyena Who Wanted to be King
131. The Hyena and the Moonbeam
132. The Lion, the Leopard, and the Hyena
133. The Elephant who Wrestled the Animals
134. The Elephant and the Turaco Bird
135. The Elephant and the Dog
136. The Chimpanzees Decide to Build Houses
137. The Bushbuck and the Goat
138. The Antelope and Her Child
139. The Antelope and the Monkey
140. The Hyrax's Warning
141. The Hyrax Who Learned to Climb
142. The Squirrel and the Nut
143. The Snake and the Scorpion
144. The Snake and the Frog
145. The Lizard and the Chameleon
146. The Man and the Ants
147. The Partridge and Her Eggs
148. The Crab and Her Children
149. The Bird and Her Chick
150. The Frog and the Chicken
151. The Rooster and the Crocodile
152. The Rooster, the Hawk, and the Eagle
153. The Rooster and the Fox
154. The Ostrich and the Lion
155. The Sparrow and the Monkey
156. The Woodpecker and the Weaverbird
157. The Turaco Who Didn't Listen
158. The Pigeon and the Tree-Branch
159. The Hornbill and the Yams
160. The Birds Who Went Canoeing
161. The Birds Who Needed Fire
162. The Birds Who Chose a King
163. The Tiny King of the Birds
164. The Rabbit and the Grasshopper
165. The Two Hunters
166. The Hunter and His Son
167. The Boy Named Red-Quail
168. The Masmeraye-Bird
169. The Wives Who Quarreled
170. The Woman and the Rabbit
171. The Man and His Monkey-Wife
172. The Jackals and Their Brides
173. The Hunter and the Antelope
174. The Boy Who Went Fishing
175. The Boys and the Singing Tree
176. The Boy and the Elephant
177. The Two Boys and the Snake
178. The Magical Korhaan-Bird
179. The Magical Head
180. The Hyena's Grindstone
181. The Hyena and the Prophet
182. King Solomon and the Birds
183. The Prophet Joseph and the Birds
184. The Shepherd and the Sheep
185. The Woman and the Crocodile
186. The Woman and the Lion
187. The Women Who Went Fishing
188. The Woman and the Hyena
189. The Hunter, the Zebra, and the Lion
190. The Wise Man and the Foolish Man
191. The Man and the Chicken
192. Long Ago, When Things Were Bigger
193. The Man and His Dogs
194. The King and His Cattle
195. Chief Mangeh and Her Cattle
196. The Father and His Son
197. The Man Who Slept
198. The Bird and Her Eggs
199. The Tortoise and His Debts
200. The Leopard, the Goat, and the Grass

'

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Seha and his Father-in-Law

When Seha was prime minister, jealous courtiers repeated rumors that he was plotting against the king, and they said the same about Seha's father-in-law.
When the king heard these rumors, he was furious and sentenced them both to death, but Seha's wife begged for mercy. "Spare them, O King!" she pleaded.
"I will spare one," said the king. "Tell me who shall it be: your husband, or your father?"
Seha's wife did not hesitate. "Spare my father," she declared. "I can get another husband, but not another father."
Impressed by her devotion, the king spared both Seha and his father-in-law.

Inspired by: "Love and Compassion" in Jewish Folktales from Morocco: Tales of Seha the Sage and Seha the Clown by Marc Eliany, published in 2021. 
Notes: The book is not available online.

Juive de Tanger by Delacroix


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Compassion for the Donkey

The villagers put all their money together to buy a communal donkey.
Then they sent Seha to the market. "Buy a good donkey," they said.
Seha bought a good donkey.
As he walked beside it going home, passersby scoffed, "Look at that fool walking, not riding!"
So Seha rode the donkey.
"He'll drive that donkey to an early grave!" other passersby remarked.
So Seha picked up the donkey and carried it.
The villagers ran to greet thim. "Look at Seha's compassion for the donkey!" they shouted. "We did well to send Seha to the market; he knew what to do."

Inspired by: "Seha's Compassion for Donkeys" in Jewish Folktales from Morocco: Tales of Seha the Sage and Seha the Clown by Marc Eliany, published in 2021. 
Notes: The book is not available online. Compare the famous fable of the father and the son bringing their donkey home from the market: Father and Son and Donkey.


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Tiny Fables You Can EXPAND

These are teeny-tiny Aesop's fables that you can expand into a 100-word story. Just reload the page for another fable at random:

If you are viewing this on a phone, the script may not render. In that case, you can just scroll through the contents of the script here: Fables Script.

If you would like to use this widget in your blog, wiki, or website, you can use this javascript; just make sure you have 400 pixels in width available:

<script type="text/javascript"> var display = " " </script><script src="https://storylab.lauragibbs.net/images/fables/fables.js" type="text/javascript"></script>


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Origins: Prompts for Writing Nature Stories

You can reload the page for another writing prompt at random:


If you are viewing this on a phone, the script may not render. In that case, you can just scroll through the contents of the script here: Origins Script.

<script type="text/javascript"> var display = " " </script><script src="https://storylab.lauragibbs.net/images/origins/origins.js" type="text/javascript"></script>

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The Proud Woman and her Suitors

A proud, beautiful woman refused all suitors,
Then a handsome stranger came; she chose him. Her father sent servants with chickens, sheep, and cows to accompany the couple to the husband's village.
But..... the husband was a snake! He devoured the animals one by one, the attendants, even the bride. Then he plunged into a pool.
Parrot watched and flew back to the bride's village. "Bring gourds," he said, "and follow me." They used the gourds to drain the pool, catching the snake and cutting him open. Parrot revived the people with medicine.
In gratitude, they painted Parrot's tail red.

Inspired by: "Chosen Suitor: Serpent Husband" in Tales in Pidgin English from Ashanti (in Journal of American Folklore) by Melville and Jean Herskovits, 1937.
Notes: You can read the original story online.




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The Human Crocodiles

Human crocodiles lived in the Nile, and they would raid the riverbank villages. The people called them by the name "mashur."
A certain villager saw his cucumbers were disappearing, so he hid that night in his garden and watched. He caught a mashur and began to beat it. 
"Spare me!" shouted the human crocodile. "I'll never steal again."
The villager let him go. The mashur kept his promise, and even told other human crocodiles to stop their raids. He also brought fish to the villager every night, leaving it in the man's garden where he found the fish each morning.

Inspired by: "The Human Crocodiles" in Cairene and Upper Egyptian Folk-Lore by A. H. Sayce, in Folklore, 1920 
Notes: You can read the original story online. The story does not give any specific details about the difference between the human crocodile and the regular kind.

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