Reading Diary B: Nigerian Folklore

Nigerian Folklore

Why the Moon Waxes and Wanes

This was such a creative way to explain the different shapes of the moon throughout the month. At first, I thought I read the line wrong when it said the moon was an old lady made of meat. As the story progressed and the old woman on earth started eating away at the moon, I was reminded of the children’s story called “The Giving Tree.”

I hadn’t heard of the story until about a year ago, so in case you haven't heard of it, I will give a summary so you see the connection. There was a boy who used a tree for shade, then throughout the boy’s life, the tree continued to give him his leaves and branches and finally gave him his trunk. The story is about sacrificial giving, and even when the boy turns into an old man, the tree still provides him with a stump to sit on as he ponders about life.

I was expecting the moon story to end similar to "The Giving Tree," but it had a different ending that made more of a scientific conclusion.

(The Moon in South Africa - Photo by Raramuridesign)

How the Tortoise overcame the Elephant and the Hippopotamus

As I read this story, I was trying to think of the best descriptive word for the tortoise, and as I read the word “cunning”, it clicked! I looked up the word to get the exact definition and realized this word meant using deceit to achieve one’s goal. The tortoise might have been using chicanery, but his smarts outwitted the large animals.

Similar to the previous story, both conclusions connected to some form of science. This one had to do with the biology of the tortoise being able to live in the water and on land.