Old Folktales

A girl runs barefoot through a haunted forest, fleeing a spirit skull she once married. This Yoruba folktale illustration uses parchment tones and African motifs to depict wisdom, vanity, and escape from the world of the dead.

The Girl Who Married a Skull

Long ago, in the dusty heart of a West African village, there lived a girl known far and wide for her beauty. Her skin glowed like oiled ebony under the sun, her eyes sparkled with mischief, and her laughter made young men weak in the knees. She knew she was beautiful, and she was proud of it. This girl, however,

African Folktales

November 5, 2025

Summary of The Lucky Fisherman – A Tale of Kindness and Reward

In this East African folktale, The Lucky Fisherman, a humble man who lives by the sea earns his living through hard work,

A Benga princess looks uneasy as a disguised devil bows before the king in a royal court decorated with ivory and gold.

October 3, 2025

The King’s Daughter and the Devil

Long ago, in a coastal kingdom of the Benga people, there lived a king who loved his daughter more than all his

Leopard trapped in a hunter’s rope being freed by kind Antelope as Tortoise watches in the Gabon forest.

October 3, 2025

Why Gratitude Matters

Long ago, in the forests of Gabon, Leopard prowled proudly. He was strong and feared by many. Antelope lived nearby, gentle and

A boastful green frog stands proudly on a Gabon riverbank as sparrow, monkey, tortoise, gazelle, and fish watch him

October 2, 2025

The Boastful Frog (African Folktale for Kids)

In the forests of Gabon, there lived a frog who thought he was the greatest of all animals. His green skin shone

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Asian Folktales

August 9, 2025

The Weaver Girl and the Cowherd

Long ago, beyond the mountains and rivers of mortal lands, there was a vast kingdom in the heavens where the Jade Emperor

August 9, 2025

The Fire Rooster and the Sunless Day

Long ago, in a mountain village of northern Vietnam, people awoke to find the sun had vanished. The sky was not dark

August 9, 2025

The Curse of the Crimson Fan

In the coastal city of Kanazawa, during the Edo period, there lived a young courtesan named Akeha. She was famed not only

August 9, 2025

The Rice Goddess’s Blessing

Long ago, when the earth was still young and the rivers ran clear as glass, there was no rice in the world.

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European Folktales

August 9, 2025

The Feathered Man of Corsica

In the sunlit harbor of Ajaccio, where masts swayed like idle reeds and the salt wind carried whispers of distant shores, there

August 9, 2025

The Woodcarver and the Laughing Tree

In a small Slovak village where the mountains rose like sleeping giants, there lived a woodcarver whose hands could coax life from even

August 9, 2025

The Bride in the Ice Cave

In the far north of Sweden, where the sun barely kissed the horizon in winter and the forests stood heavy with snow,

August 9, 2025

The Mill That Ground Desires

In the fjord-side village of Hrafnsfjörður, there stood an old mill no one dared to claim. It was said to grind not wheat

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American Folktales

August 8, 2025

The Rainbow Crow;

Long ago, the world was covered in thick white snow. The trees were bare, the rivers frozen, and the animals shivered with

August 8, 2025

Wabun and The First Moccasins

Long ago, when the Earth was still young and the rivers had just begun to sing their songs through the land, the

August 8, 2025

Coyote And The Pebble People

Long ago, when animals still spoke and the world was young, Coyote roamed the rivers and hills of what is now the

August 8, 2025

The Owl And The Rabbit

Long ago, in the misty hollers of the Appalachian mountains, when animals still spoke with one another and the moon shone bright

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Oceanian Folktales

August 9, 2025

The Fire of Mount Yasur

Before the island of Tanna wore its crown of smoke, the people lived in a time of endless green. The hills rolled

August 9, 2025

How the Sea Stole the Sunlight

Long ago, before the islands had their full beauty, the sunlight belonged to the sky alone. It poured down each morning, turning

August 9, 2025

Sina and the Eel; Tale of Love and Gift

Long ago in Samoa, when the moon still spoke to the tides and the stars walked the night, there lived a young

August 9, 2025

The Turtle Who Brought Rain

Long ago in Tonga, before the time of chiefs and great canoes, the land lay under a cruel sun. The sky was

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Editor's Pick

World Folktales

Summary: The Moon’s Forgotten Twin – A Tale of Selflessness and Inner Light

November 5, 2025

The Moon’s Forgotten Twin is a West African folktale that teaches the power and beauty of selflessness. The story follows Ndeye, a kind-hearted boy

African Folktales

Summary of The Lucky Fisherman – A Tale of Kindness and Reward

November 5, 2025

In this East African folktale, The Lucky Fisherman, a humble man who lives by the sea earns his living through hard work, despite his

African Folktales

The King’s Daughter and the Devil

October 3, 2025

Long ago, in a coastal kingdom of the Benga people, there lived a king who loved his daughter more than all his gold. She

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List of 255 African Proverbs That Speak Universal Truths

July 22, 2025

African proverbs are powerful vessels of wisdom passed down through generations. Rooted in the oral traditions of communities across the continent, these timeless sayings

Anansi and the Broken Pot of Wisdom – A Folktale from Ghana’s Ashanti Storytelling Tradition

African Folktales

Anansi and the Broken Pot of Wisdom – A Folktale from the Ashanti People of Ghana

July 22, 2025

In a small village surrounded by deep forests and sun-drenched savannahs, there lived a spider named Anansi. Though physically small and often underestimated, Anansi