Black Tales for White Children

A collection of Swahili folktales translated and arranged from stories heard in coastal towns, camps and home evenings, presented with occasional rhymes and illustrative notes. The narratives move between animal trickster episodes, origin myths, hunting adventures and courtly anecdotes, and often blend Arabian supernatural figures with African jungle creatures and village scenes. Many pieces retain the rhythms and refrains of oral performance, combining practical wisdom, moral lessons and playful humor to suit family telling around the evening fire.