The story of The Bush Cow and the Elephant is enjoyable also, although it is also a little confusing. I like the explanation of why certain animals fight each other.
In the story of The Cock Who Caused a Fight, I like the drama caused by Ama Ukwa, but I also like that it ended well. I wonder what would have happened if the brothers had not spoken to each other and instead one of them died. That would have made for a very tragic story.
The story of The Hippopotamus and the Tortoise reminds me of the story of Rumplestiltskin. The theme of an unknown name is a really good one because it adds suspense and drama to the story.
The story of Why Dead People are Buried is actually a really sad one, even though it is reality. According to the story, if the people had listened to the dog, there would be no permanent death. As it is, though, there is, which in a way makes life more sweet.
The story Of the Fat Woman who Melted Away is really interesting, because it tells of a fat woman, who in today's society would most likely be perceived as not so beautiful, is extremely beautiful and wanted by many. I'm so very confused by why she is made out of oil, however, and how that even works. Does that change her appearance or does she look like a normal human? Many questions.
Does the story of Why the Moon Waxes and Wanes count as cannibalism? Because it seems very cannibalistic to me.
The story of Tortoise, Elephant, and Hippopotamus is a nice one. It's filled with intelligence and cunningness, but it still has a happy ending, which I enjoy.
I swear, stories like the story of The King and the 'Nsiat Bird just continue to confuse me. I cannot seem to wrap my head around what Nigerians seem to believe or at least come up with. I can never figure out if the love interest, who's father is a bird, is also a bird or is a human. Or is the king a bird? It is all very odd.
Oh, the story of The Hawk and the Owl is so sad. I was so afraid the hawk was going to eat the baby owl at first. It's still sad that the hawk ate the baby chick, even though that is how nature works. I like the idea of the story, though, that those who are quiet are plotting revenge. It is quite a comical, and at times realistic, idea.
It is quite tragic that in the story of The 'Nsasak Bird and the Odudu Bird, the Odudu bird, the 'Nsasak bird's friend, died because of the ridiculous competition.
The story of The Election of the King Bird is interesting in that it mentions so many birds. It attempts to explain the manners of each bird and the reasoning behind them all. I have really enjoyed these kinds of stories and will be definitely writing about a type of creation story.
Nigerian Folk Stories collected by Elphinstone Dayrell. Source link: Part B
Image 1 information: "Pink Lightning" by oompa123, 2015. Web source: Wikimedia Commons
Image 2 information: "Southern White Faced Owl" by Petr Kratochvil. Web source: Public Domain Pictures
Hi again! Based off your summaries/thoughts of these stories, I'm actually intrigued. I read something else, but Nigerian folk tales seem to offer a lot of inspiration. It's cool to see how you think of these stories and then see how you made them your own; you always manage to come up with something original and refreshing, so reading your notes gave a little insight as to how your creative thinking goes.
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