MANY years ago a book on the Folk-Tales of the Eskimo was published, and the editor of The Academy (Dr. Appleton) told one of his minions to send it to me for revision. By mischance it was sent to an eminent expert in Political Economy, who, never suspecting any error, took the book for the text of an interesting essay on the economics of "the blameless Hyperboreans." Mr. Dayrell's "Folk Stories from Southern Nigeria" appeal to the anthropologist within me, no less than to the lover of what children and older people call "Fairy Tales." The stories are full of mentions of strange institutions, as well as of rare adventures. I may be permitted to offer some running notes and comments on this mass of African curiosities from the crowded lumber-room of the native mind. I. The Tortoise with a Pretty Daughter.--The story, like the tales of the dark native tribes of Australia, rises from that state of fancy by which man draws (at least for purposes of fiction) no line between himself and the lower animals. Why should not the fair heroine, Adet, daughter of the tortoise, be the daughter of human parents? The tale would be none the less interesting, and a good deal more credible to the mature intelligence. But the ancient fashion of animal parentage is presented. It may have originated, like the stories of the Australians, at a time when men were totemists, when every person had a bestial or vegetable "family-name," and when, to account for these hereditary names, stories of descent from a supernatural, bestial, primeval race were invented. In the fables of the world, speaking animals, human in all but outward aspect, are the characters. The fashion is universal among savages; it descends to the Buddha's jataka, or parables, to sop and La Fontaine. There could be no such fashion if fables had originated among civilised human beings. The polity of the people who tell this story seems to be despotic. The king makes a law that any girl prettier than the prince's fifty wives shall be put to death, with her parents. Who is to be the Paris, and give the fatal apple to the most fair? Obviously the prince is the Paris. He falls in love with Miss Tortoise, guided to her as he is by the bird who is "entranced with her beauty." In this tribe, as in Homer's time, the lover offers a bride-price to the father of the girl. In Homer cattle are the current medium; in Nigeria pieces of cloth and brass rods are (or were) the currency. Observe the queen's interest in an affair of true love. Though she knows that her son's life is endangered by his honourable passion, she adds to the bride-price out of her privy purse. It is "a long courting"; four years pass, while pretty Adet is "ower young to marry yet." The king is very angry when the news of this breach of the royal marriage Act first comes to his ears. He summons the whole of his subjects, his throne, a stone, is set out in the market-place, and Adet is brought before him. He sees and is conquered.

Elphinstone Dayrell collected folk tales from the Efik and Ibibio peoples of Southeastern Nigeria. The scope of these tales encompasses local mythology and stories suitable for children, to tales so cruel they will still shock a modern public.

One of the most important collections of African folklore ever published. "Mr. Dayrell's "Folk Stories from Southern Nigeria" appeal to the anthropologist within me, no less than to the lover of what children and older people call "Fairy Tales." The stories are full of mentions of strange institutions, as well as of rare adventures. I may be permitted to offer some running notes and comments on this mass of African curiosities from the crowded lumber-room of the native mind. "The most striking point in the tales is the combination of good humour and good feeling with horrible cruelties, and the reign of terror of the Egbos and lesser societies. European influences can scarcely do much harm, apart from whisky, in Nigeria. As to religion, we do not learn that the Creator receives any sacrifice: in savage and barbaric countries He usually gets none. Only Ju Jus, whether ghosts or fiends in general, are propitiated. The Other is 'too high and too far.'" -Andrew Lang INTRODUCTION I. THE TORTOISE WITH A PRETTY DAUGHTER II. HOW A HUNTER OBTAINED MONEY FROM HIS FRIENDS THE LEOPARD, GOAT, BUSH CAT, AND COCK, AND HOW HE GOT OUT OF REPAYING THEM III. THE WOMAN WITH TWO SKINS IV. THE KING'S MAGIC DRUM V. ITUEN AND THE KING'S WIFE VI. OF THE PRETTY STRANGER WHO KILLED THE KING VII. WHY THE BAT FLIES BY NIGHT VIII. THE DISOBEDIENT DAUGHTER WHO MARRIED A SKULL IX. THE KING WHO MARRIED THE COCK'S DAUGHTER X. THE WOMAN, THE APE, AND THE CHILD XI. THE FISH AND THE LEOPARD'S WIFE; OR, WHY THE FISH LIVES IN THE WATER XII. WHY THE BAT IS ASHAMED TO BE SEEN IN THE DAYTIME XIII. WHY THE WORMS LIVE UNDERNEATH THE GROUND XIV. THE ELEPHANT AND THE TORTOISE; OR, WHY THE WORMS ARE BLIND AND WHY THE ELEPHANT HAS SMALL EYES XV. WHY A HAWK KILLS CHICKENS XVI. WHY THE SUN AND THE MOON LIVE IN THE SKY XVII. WHY THE FLIES BOTHER THE COWS XVIII. WHY THE CAT KILLS RATS XIX. THE STORY OF THE LIGHTNING AND THE THUNDER XX. WHY THE BUSH COW AND THE ELEPHANT ARE BAD FRIENDS XXI. THE COCK WHO CAUSED A FIGHT BETWEEN TWO TOWNS XXII. THE AFFAIR OF THE HIPPOPOTAMUS AND THE TORTOISE; OR, WHY THE HIPPOPOTAMUS LIVES IN THE WATER XXIII. WHY DEAD PEOPLE ARE BURIED XXIV. OF THE FAT WOMAN WHO MELTED AWAY XXV. CONCERNING THE LEOPARD, THE SQUIRREL, AND THE TORTOISE XXVI. WHY THE MOON WAXES AND WANES XXVII. THE STORY OF THE LEOPARD, THE TORTOISE, AND THE BUSH RAT XXVIII. THE KING AND THE JU JU TREE XXIX. HOW THE TORTOISE OVERCAME THE ELEPHANT AND THE HIPPOPOTAMUS XXX. OF THE PRETTY GIRL AND THE SEVEN JEALOUS WOMEN XXXI. HOW THE CANNIBALS DROVE THE PEOPLE FROM INSOFAN MOUNTAIN TO THE CROSS RIVER (IKOM) XXXII. THE LUCKY FISHERMAN XXXIII. THE ORPHAN BOY AND THE MAGIC STONE XXXIV. THE SLAVE GIRL WHO TRIED TO KILL HER MISTRESS XXXV. THE KING AND THE 'NSIAT BIRD XXXVI. CONCERNING THE FATE OF ESSIDO AND HIS EVIL COMPANIONS XXXVII. CONCERNING THE HAWK AND THE OWL XXXVIII. THE STORY OF THE DRUMMER AND THE ALLIGATORS XXXIX. THE 'NSASAK BIRD AND THE ODUDU BIRD XL. THE ELECTION OF THE KING BIRD (THE BLACK AND-WHITE FISHING EAGLE)

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

"Folk Stories from Southern Nigeria" appeal to the anthropologist within me, no less than to the lover of what children and older people call "Fairy Tales." The stories are full of mentions of strange institutions, as well as of rare adventures. I may be permitted to offer some running notes and comments on this mass of African curiosities from the crowded lumber-room of the native mind.

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First Published in 1968. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.