1. Tales from Beneath the Baobab Introducing Fables

2. Tales from Beneath the Baobab Where is your favourite place to listen to a story? Tales from Beneath the Baobab

3. Tales Under 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 from Beneath the Baobab

4. Tales Under the Baobab In Burkina Faso, and all over Africa, stories are very important. They are not only for fun, but for education. Tales from Beneath the Baobab

5. Tales Under 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 from Beneath the Baobab

6. Tales Under 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 from Beneath the Baobab

7. Tales Under the Baobab What is a fable ? Tales from Beneath the Baobab

8. Tales Under 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 from Beneath the Baobab

9. Tales Under the Baobab Have you heard a fable before? Tales from Beneath the Baobab

10. Tales Under the Baobab Have you heard a fable before? The Hare and the Tortoise The Ant and the Grasshopper A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing The Goose with the Golden Eggs Tales from Beneath the Baobab

11. Tales Under 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 from Beneath the Baobab

12. Tales Under the Baobab What kinds of animal characters do you think will appear in a fable here? You are going to hear a fable from Burkina Faso. The landscape there is dry, as it is close to the Sahara desert. Tales from Beneath the Baobab

13. Tales Under the Baobab The Hyena and the Monkeys Listen to the Story: What do you think it is trying to teach us? (the moral ) Tales from Beneath the Baobab

14. .. 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’.

15. .. 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.