Children S Folk Tales From Zimbabwe

While he was growing up, Tsuro, the bunny rabbit, learned the hard way to treat others as he wanted to be treated by them. Being street smart is good, but it's not always the best way to live with others. As children, we must never look down on people. We can learn something from our friends no matter how different they are. Amazingly, Kamba, the turtle proved that slow is the new fast. I, Victoria Taurai Kandimba, a mother of four, born and raised in rural Zimbabwe am a natural storyteller. I was inspired by my grandparents who were great folk storytellers as I grew up. I moved to the USA in 2000. In the warm evenings, in a dimly lit hut, after dinner, my two grandmothers, Mandisiya and Taurai, would entertain the family with these folk stories while we shelled peanuts. Everyone took part in discussions to discipline or praise characters in these tales and we thoroughly enjoyed it. They were parables that taught children to grow into good responsible people.

While he was growing up, Tsuro, the bunny rabbit, learned the hard way to treat others as he wanted to be treated by them. Being street smart is good, but its not always the best way to live with others. As children, we must never look down on people. We can learn something from our friends no matter how different they are. Amazingly, Kamba, the turtle proved that slow is the new fast. I, Victoria Taurai Kandimba, a mother of four, born and raised in rural Zimbabwe am a natural storyteller. I was inspired by my grandparents who were great folk storytellers as I grew up. I moved to the USA in 2000. In the warm evenings, in a dimly lit hut, after dinner, my two grandmothers, Mandisiya and Taurai, would entertain the family with these folk stories while we shelled peanuts. Everyone took part in discussions to discipline or praise characters in these tales and we thoroughly enjoyed it. They were parables that taught children to grow into good responsible people.

The idea of writing this book was born out of the need to finance the Tekeshe Foundation (www.tekeshe.org) which she formed to continue her parents' vision of empowering the young people in the rural areas of Chipinge to grow up to be successful, self-reliant citizens.

The book contains African folktales, quizzes and proverbs as traditionally told (by the Ndau people), typically by a grandmother, to children in the evenings. These folktales are passed through this oral tradition from generation to generation and form a critical cultural upbringing that shapes the morals, value systems and way of life of the African societies. The stories told to children from an early age each has a moral teaching or is built around some ancient African ‘words of wisdom’. Whilst Chisiya was studying in England (1979 to 1985), and also starting a family he wrote the folktales initially for his children, but the stories got popular with friends, culminating in the Sheffield Education department (through Chris Searle – their multi-cultural adviser) asking Chisiya to tell some of his grandmothers’ folktales to schools in 1985. Chisiya was hosted by Ellesmere and Pye Bank First schools in Sheffield, where the children would make illustrations about the stories. Now these original children’s drawings have been used in this book. Afrikan Lullaby was first published in 1986 by Karia Press; and this is now its second publication.

While he was growing up, Tsuro, the bunny rabbit, learned the hard way to treat others as he wanted to be treated by them. Being street smart is good, but it's not always the best way to live with others. As children, we must never look down on people. We can learn something from our friends no matter how different they are. Amazingly, Kamba, the turtle proved that slow is the new fast. I, Victoria Taurai Kandimba, a mother of four, born and raised in rural Zimbabwe am a natural storyteller. I was inspired by my grandparents who were great folk storytellers as I grew up. I moved to the USA in 2000. In the warm evenings, in a dimly lit hut, after dinner, my two grandmothers, Mandisiya and Taurai, would entertain the family with these folk stories while we shelled peanuts. Everyone took part in discussions to discipline or praise characters in these tales and we thoroughly enjoyed it. They were parables that taught children to grow into good responsible people.

The 27 stories collected from the Ndebele people of Zimbabwe demonstrate the wealth and variety of traditional African folk tales.