This book challenges us to take a cursory glance at our contemporary world, where modern man's scientific and technological ingenuity has led him to soar thorough the galaxy and made the heavens part of his domain; and contrast that with his level of morality today. Open any newspaper or listen to the radio and television news and you can't help but lament on the appalling moral depravity and obscene behavior of our contemporary man. With this intractable moral depravity on the ascendancy, the author nostalgically reminiscences the upright morality of yesteryears, and admonishes us to heed Plato's philosophical advice: 'now since men are by nature acquisitive, jealous, combative, and erotic, how shall we persuade them to behave themselves? By the policeman's omnipresent club? {now, AK 47}. It is a brutal method, costly and irritating. There is a better way, and this is by lending to the moral requirements of the community. Throughout this book the author emphasizes the significance of proper moral education in shaping the character of children, youngsters and even adults, and reminds us: 'morals are the rules by which society exhorts its members and associations to behavior consistent with its 'order, security and growth' {Will & Ariel Durant}. The author noted that in traditional African societies, the wise elders, like the ancient Greek philosophers, strongly emphasized the teachability of moral values and deliberately inculcated them into their youngsters. The stories in this book are folktales filled with moral lessons that have been handed down from many generations to the present in many African countries from Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroons, Liberia, the Gambia, Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania to Zimbabwe. The traditional African elders successfully utilized these folktales to socialize their youngsters to the moral requirements of their society to insure stability, harmonious relations, order, security and growth.

African Folk Tales By: Kwaku A. Adoboli The author picked up his love of folk tales from his father and his uncle, Okuma Totokpuiti Gamega. In the evening, the kids and some adults sat in a circle around the storytellers listening to the tales. The audience was alive and active, interjecting short songs, remarks, and dances as the tales progressed. Folk tales are for entertainment. That is why the songs and dances come in. The tellers themselves may sing and dance. The children are allowed to tell their tales. Folk tales also teach lessons in obedience, loyalty, forgiveness, justice, and more. Folk tales encompass oral literature, adages, grammar, and dos and don’ts of the language. The tales are meant to teach the young people the customs and norms of their society. They are different from oral history. Oral histories are more involved and cover the behaviors and experiences of the people. The author’s father told these tales with animation, joy, and happiness in three languages: IGO, EWE, and TWI. The tales are universal and can be told in any language. Interpret and propound wisdoms to children and adults in any society. The Western World is aware of the famous African drums, rhythms, and songs. Now the author brings you the unique folk tales. They are not poems to repeat word by word. They are not told the same way twice. The readers can embellish and adjust them to given situations, use them in entertainment, or in expounding moral lessons. Folk tales are for action and are full of active verbs. All the American based tales were originated by the author.

The Happy Man is another African folktale. It is a story of a wealthy African king who seemingly has everything _ power, food and a loving family. Yet he insists on finding the secret to happiness. So begins an interaction between the king, his subjects and one wise old man. In the end, there are lessons learned. Much like Aesop's Fable, these stories address the same moral lessons, except they take place in the jungles of Africa. The book is an easy read augmented with fantastic full-page color images.

In this beautifully illustrated, collectable library of easy-to-read traditional folktale with their moral lessons, test questions, and activities for the young ones, classic African stories are brought magically to reality. The stories in the African Folktale Series (AFS) are filled with moral lessons that have been handed down from many generations to the present in many African countries from Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroons, Liberia, the Gambia, Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania to Zimbabwe. The traditional African elders who inhabited an ancient continent brimming with wisdom successfully utilized these folktales to socialize their youngsters to the moral requirements of their society to insure order, security and growth.

Sun and Moon must leave their earthly home after Sun invites the Sea to visit.

Explore and enjoy the life of a Godly family, who eventually discovered that it always pays to be patient in everything. This story book is one of the delightful African Oral Tradition. They are designed for thought provoking responses long after an adult has shared the story. Moral lessons and questions are made available at the end of the story, to increase reader retention. Be sure to encourage your child or children to point out the main objects or persons in this interesting African Folk Tale.