English

Long ago, when trees could talk and fish could fly, Frog was the biggest of all the animals. He liked to bully everyone, and the animals were growing tired of him. One day, when Frog had gone swimming, the other animals held a meeting to decide how to deal with him. “We need...

A long, long time ago, when giants roamed about and chickens talked, a poor woman lived with her daughter, Tselane, in a little house. Since she had nobody to look after Tselane, the woman was forced to leave the child alone when she went to plough her fields each day...

Once upon a time, there was a farmer called Vusi who was very, very strong. Nobody knew how he did it, but he could easily carry two cows at the same time. One morning, when Vusi woke up, he ran around in a panic. “My necklace! Who has stolen my magic necklace?” he...

Long ago when the world was new, Nkwazi, the great fish eagle, called all the birds together. “As you know,” he said, “Bhubesi the lion is king of the beasts. But why should he speak for us birds? We need to choose our own king... and as I am so majestic, I...

Long ago, there was a land filled with every kind of fruit tree. The only fruit that nobody had ever seen or tasted, was the lemon. One day, the king’s favourite daughter, Bokang, fell ill. Many doctors and sangomas tried to help her, but Bokang didn’t get better. At last, a very...

Once upon a time, an old woman lived all alone near the top of a tall mountain above a village. Everybody in the village was afraid of her. They called her “The Witch”. One day a young girl called Phumla went out to collect wild roots and herbs on the slopes of the...

A long time ago, a woman lived with her family in a village in the Kingdom of Zululand. Every Sunday the family went down to the big ocean. The woman made food over a fire while her husband looked for wood washed up by the sea to carve beautiful things: birds, people and...

One day long ago, a girl called Lerato was walking through the veld when she saw a little black pig fast asleep under a bush. “Aha,” said Lerato. “We will eat well tonight.” Lerato grabbed the little pig, but to her surprise, it squeaked, “Please, let me go! I’ll reward you – I’m...

Long ago, a wicked giant stole two children and made them his slaves. All day they cooked and cleaned and washed his smelly clothes. The giant never locked the door, because he knew his pet crow wouldn’t let the children escape. This bird had very sharp eyes, and it told the giant everything...