African Animal Stories

Some of these links go to transcriptions of stories from public domain sources, others go to summaries of stories (for books not in the public domain), and other links go to my own 100-word versions of the stories. 
The listing is arranged in order from short to long, stories first, and then the summaries of stories.
In addition to the animal tales, there are a few chain tales in there without animals; I'm also collecting chain tales as well as animal stories. :-)

Updated July 16, 2021. 

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1. Anansi and Leopard (100-word story)
2. Anansi and Snake (100-word story)
3. Djokhrane and the Jaybird (100-word story)
4. Fleas (100-word story)
5. God and Anansi Make a Bargain (100-word story)
6. God's Messengers, Chameleon and Lizard (100-word story)
7. Hawk and Tortoise's Flute (100-word story)
8. How the Jackal Got His Stripe (100-word story)
9. How the Monkeys Got Their Tails (100-word story)
10. Hyena and the Moon (100-word story)
11. Jackal, Fox, and Wagtail (100-word story)
12. Jackal, Hyena, and the Man's Lard (100-word story)
13. Leopard Plays Dead (100-word story)
14. Mantis and the Magic Ostrich (100-word story)
15. Mantis and the Mysterious Man (100-word story)
16. Mantis Visits Mother Aardwolf (100-word story)
17. Rabbit and Buffalo (100-word story)
18. Rabbit Brings Death to the World (100-word story)
19. Rabbit's Punishment (100-word story)
20. Rabbit's Stepping-Stone (100-word story)
21. Rainbow Visits Mother Aardwolf (100-word story)
22. Riding Hyena (100-word story)
23. The Animals and the Fire (100-word story)
24. The Animals Dance for Water (100-word story)
25. The Baboon Shepherd (100-word story)
26. The Chameleon and the Snake (100-word story)
27. The Corn-Thief (100-word story)
28. The Elephant's Short Tail (100-word story)
29. The First Baboons (100-word story)
30. The First Lion (100-word story)
31. The God's Ambassador (100-word story)
32. The Hyena and the Crane (100-word story)
33. The Hyena and the Moonbeam (100-word story)
34. The Jackal's Prayer (100-word story)
35. The Lion and the Bushman (100-word story)
36. The Lion's Talisman (100-word story)
37. The Lioness and the Antelope (100-word story)
38. The Man's Secret (100-word story)
39. The Mean Old Grandmother (100-word story)
40. The Partridge and the Puff Adder (100-word story)
41. The Proud Wren (100-word story)
42. The Rabbit and the Elephant Go Dancing (100-word story)
43. The Rat and the Fish (100-word story)
44. The Wildcat and the Nightjar (100-word story)
45. The Wise Man, Hyena, and Spider (100-word story)
46. Tortoise and Guinea-Fowl Eat Apples (100-word story)
47. Tortoise and the Breadfruit-Tree (100-word story)
48. Tortoise and the King's Drum (100-word story)
49. Tortoise Is Angry at Hawk (100-word story)
50. Tortoise is Rich (100-word story)
51. Tortoise's Revenge (100-word story)
52. Tying Hyena (100-word story)
53. What Mongoose Said (100-word story)
54. Why People Bury the Dead (100-word story)
    
    
    
55. Zulu Story of the Origin of Death (101-word story)
56. The Origin of Death (102-word story)
57. A Pig and a Deer (107-word story)
58. Birds (108-word story)
59. The Cat That Was a Devotee (110-word story)
60. Elephants (111-word story)
61. The Story of the Man and His Son (124-word story)
62. The Serpent (126-word story)
63. The Tale of a Crow (128-word story)
64. The Tortoises Hunting the Ostriches (128-word story)
65. The Horse Cursed by the Sun (132-word story)
66. Mortality, The Chameleon, and the Salamander (138-word story)
67. Ntembe, The Brother of the Spirit (143-word story)
68. Medicine (146-word story)
69. A Frog and a Deer (151-word story)
70. The Dutchman and the Snake (152-word story)
71. Fishes (167-word story)
72. Mantis Gives the Bucks their Colors (199-word story)
73. The Origin of Death (201-word story)
74. The Lion's Defeat (210-word story)
75. The Bird-Messengers. (211-word story)
76. The Little Child (211-word story)
77. The Lion's Illness (212-word story)
78. The Giraffe and the Tortoise (213-word story)
79. The Lion and the Baboon (214-word story)
80. Taming Monkeys and Buck (221-word story)
81. The Origin of Baboons (221-word story)
82. Baboon and Hare (225-word story)
83. The Mule, the Jackal, and the Lion (225-word story)
84. The Wild Cat And The Gazelle. (229-word story)
85. A Bad Sister (230-word story)
86. Lion and Hare (231-word story)
87. Strange Meetings (235-word story)
88. The Elephant and the Hare (235-word story)
89. Why the Sea-turtle When Caught Beats Its Breast With Its Forelegs (240-word story)
90. The Hyena and the Moon (250-word story)
91. Another Story Of Kenkebe (254-word story)
92. Cloud-Eating (254-word story)
93. The Lost Child (259-word story)
94. The Story of the Crocodile (261-word story)
95. The Metamorphosis of a Maiden (267-word story)
96. Why the Cat kills Rats (269-word story)
97. Why the Flies Bother the Cows (269-word story)
98. Why the Leopard Can Only Catch Prey On Its Left Side (269-word story)
99. The Flying Lion (278-word story)
100. The Spider, the Hippopotamus, and the Elephant (282-word story)
101. Why the Bat flies by Night (287-word story)
102. A Woman Transformed into a Lion (298-word story)
103. The Chimpanzee And Gorilla. (299-word story)
104. Why The Crocodile Does Not Eat The Hen. (304-word story)
105. The Jackal's Bride (305-word story)
106. The Zebra Stallion (306-word story)
107. The Roasted Seeds (307-word story)
108. Tortoise and Elephant (307-word story)
109. Segu the Honey Guide (310-word story)
110. Fish-Stealing (311-word story)
111. The Rabbit and the Deer (312-word story)
112. The Story of the Lightning and the Thunder (312-word story)
113. The Dove and the Heron (314-word story)
114. Hare and Baboon (319-word story)
115. The Spider Has a Feast (321-word story)
116. Salomon and the Griffin (325-word story)
117. The Lioness And The Ostrich (327-word story)
118. Baboon's Foolish Judgment (328-word story)
119. The Fish and the Leopard's Wife; or, Why the Fish lives in the Water (330-word story)
120. Appendix to Great Tortoise (331-word story)
121. The Hunt of the Lion and Jackal (336-word story)
122. Taming Dogs (338-word story)
123. Why Does Hyena Limp? (341-word story)
124. The Spider, the Hyena, and the Corn (346-word story)
125. The Lion and the Wolf (349-word story)
126. The Man and the Lion (351-word story)
127. The Baboons and the Leopard (353-word story)
128. The Lion, the Hyena and the Hare (356-word story)
129. Hlakanyana, the Hare, and the Iguana (363-word story)
130. The Cat's Tail (363-word story)
131. The Language of Birds (true story) (368-word story)
132. Why the Worms Live Underneath the Ground (373-word story)
133. Jackal And Monkey (374-word story)
134. The Flute-Player (374-word story)
135. How Wisdom Became the Property of the Human Race (383-word story)
136. The Hyena and the Bees (391-word story)
137. Adzanumee and Her Mother (397-word story)
138. Killing A Leopard. (397-word story)
139. The Origin of Baboons, version 2 (400-word story)
140. The Child (402-word story)
141. The Cure of a Jealous Person (402-word story)
142. Why Dead People are Buried (402-word story)
143. The Mpa Bana Bird (407-word story)
144. Hare and Duiker (411-word story)
145. Anansi and the Blind Fisherman (416-word story)
146. Amavukutu (424-word story)
147. The Tiger, The Ram, And The Jackal (428-word story)
148. Why Tigers Never Attack Men Unless They Are Provoked (433-word story)
149. King Chameleon and the Animals (439-word story)
150. The Leopard and the Ram (440-word story)
151. The Hyrax went without a Tail (441-word story)
152. The Crocodile (443-word story)
153. The Lion who Thought Himself Wiser than his Mother (443-word story)
154. Feeding the Hungry (453-word story)
155. The Seven Brothers (453-word story)
156. Leopard-Tortoise (456-word story)
157. The Elephant and the Tortoise (460-word story)
158. Tink-Tinkje (460-word story)
159. The King and the 'Nsiat Bird (467-word story)
160. The Lion And Jackal (476-word story)
161. The Wonderful Horns (476-word story)
162. The Squirrel and the Spider (477-word story)
163. The Turtle, the Frog, and the Serpent (479-word story)
164. To Lose an Elephant For the Sake of a Wren Is a Very Foolish Thing To Do (479-word story)
165. Why a Hawk kills Chickens (494-word story)
166. Conversation between a Bird and a Hen (497-word story)
167. The Lion, The Jackal, And The Man (504-word story)
168. The White Man and the Snake (505-word story)
169. The Great Chief Of The Animals (512-word story)
170. The Affair of the Hippopotamus and the Tortoise; or, Why the Hippopotamus lives in the Water (513-word story)
171. The Lost Message (517-word story)
172. Another Account of Man (531-word story)
173. The Hare and the Bangles (545-word story)
174. The Leopard and the Ram (546-word story)
175. The Dog and the Leopard (559-word story)
176. The Child and the Bird (561-word story)
177. The Hare and the Elephants (565-word story)
178. The Hunter and the Tortoise (567-word story)
179. How a Nama Woman outwitted the Elephants (571-word story)
180. How the Tortoise Got Its Shell (575-word story)
181. The Hare and the Elephant (582-word story)
182. Anansi and Nothing (583-word story)
183. Hare and Duiker (584-word story)
184. About the Weasel (589-word story)
185. Why the Hyena is Lame (590-word story)
186. The Vulture and the Crow (597-word story)
187. The King, the Arab, and the Monster (601-word story)
188. How the Tortoise Overcame the Elephant and the Hippopotamus (608-word story)
189. The Leopard And The Crocodile. (612-word story)
190. Blue Crane's Story (619-word story)
191. The Good Man and the Bad One (622-word story)
192. The Hunters and the Big Snake (626-word story)
193. The Gazelle And The Leopard. (634-word story)
194. The Glutton (642-word story)
195. How Mushrooms First Grew (649-word story)
196. The Three Women (653-word story)
197. The Grinding-Stone That Ground Flour By Itself (659-word story)
198. The Two Brothers (661-word story)
199. The Hare, the Elephant, and the Beans (662-word story)
200. The Ungrateful Man (676-word story)
201. The Iguana and the Dog (684-word story)
202. Kaliklanje (685-word story)
203. The Antelope And The Leopard. (692-word story)
204. The Lion, the Hyena, and the Rabbit (693-word story)
205. The Python (694-word story)
206. The Famine (696-word story)
207. The Weasel and the Hyena (697-word story)
208. The Stolen Woman (699-word story)
209. The Election of the King Bird (the black and-white Fishing Eagle) (702-word story)
210. Why Spiders Are Always Found in Corners of Ceilings (704-word story)
211. The 'Nsasak Bird and the Odudu Bird (706-word story)
212. Concerning the Hawk and the Owl (722-word story)
213. The Crow and the Child. (722-word story)
214. Tit For Tat (723-word story)
215. The Lion, the Jackal, and the Man (724-word story)
216. Foul Mouth, Blue Crane, and the Girls (728-word story)
217. The Girl Who Disregarded The Custom Of Ntonjane (728-word story)
218. Why White Ants Always Harm Man's Property (732-word story)
219. The Cock who caused a Fight between two Towns (736-word story)
220. The Great Tortoise (738-word story)
221. Ubabuze (738-word story)
222. Uzembeni (739-word story)
223. The Lion's Share (741-word story)
224. The Monkey's Fiddle (743-word story)
225. Tale of Uncama-ngamanzi-egudu (758-word story)
226. Hlakanyana Trades Up (770-word story)
227. A Fowl and an Elephant (771-word story)
228. The Turtle And The Man. (771-word story)
229. How The Spider Won And Lost Nzambi's Daughter. (774-word story)
230. The Fish Eagle and the Mngomba (779-word story)
231. How Sense Was Distributed (Weasel and Hare) (783-word story)
232. The Lion and the Wild Dog (795-word story)
233. Why the Moon and the Stars Receive Their Light From the Sun (807-word story)
234. Wiki the Weaver (811-word story)
235. Rombao (812-word story)
236. Hlakanyana and the Leopard (815-word story)
237. Why No One Ever Carries the Alligator Down to the Water (828-word story)
238. Lion And Jackal (830-word story)
239. The Devil Called Sae-kidongoi and the Children (833-word story)
240. How Nsassi (Gazelle) Got Married. (835-word story)
241. The Elephant and the Tortoise; or, Why the Worms are Blind and why the Elephant has Small Eyes (838-word story)
242. The Kites and the Crows (853-word story)
243. Why the Lizard Moves His Head Up and Down (861-word story)
244. Why We See Ants Carrying Bundles As Big As Themselves (868-word story)
245. The Old Woman, Her Sons, and the Python (869-word story)
246. Paka the Cat (877-word story)
247. The Leopard, the Hare, and the Monkey (878-word story)
248. The Hartebeest and the Eland (880-word story)
249. Unanana-Bosele (897-word story)
250. The Omanhene Who Liked Riddles (899-word story)
251. The Woman, the Ape, and the Child (903-word story)
252. A Stork and Toads (907-word story)
253. The World's Reward (907-word story)
254. Why the Bush Cow and the Elephant are bad Friends (929-word story)
255. Kibaraka and the Bird (932-word story)
256. Great Fiery Serpent (960-word story)
257. Bata the Duck (964-word story)
258. The Lion of Manda (967-word story)
259. The Unreasonable Child (975-word story)
260. Lion And Little Jackal (983-word story)
261. The Hunter (987-word story)
262. The Elephant and the Goat (987-word story)
263. Mr. Spider Wins a Wife (988-word story)
264. Story Of Lion And Little Jackal (995-word story)
265. The Robber and the Two Pilgrims (1006-word story)
266. Cunning Rabbit and His Well (1013-word story)
267. The Rabbit And The Antelope. (1020-word story)
268. A Hen and a Cat (1025-word story)
269. Mantis and Cat (1031-word story)
270. Mahomet ben Soltan (1035-word story)
271. H'ab Sliman (1047-word story)
272. The Monkey and the FIsherman (1056-word story)
273. The King who Married the Cock's Daughter (1063-word story)
274. The Flame Tree (1080-word story)
275. The Fox and the Crow (1082-word story)
276. Thunder and Anansi (1087-word story)
277. Who was the Thief? (1098-word story)
278. The Story Of A Dam (1120-word story)
279. Saved by his Tail (1127-word story)
280. The Cannibal Mother And Her Children (1134-word story)
281. How Beasts and Serpents Came into the World (1160-word story)
282. Spider, Bushgoat, Deer, etc. (1174-word story)
283. The Tortoise with a Pretty Daughter (1174-word story)
284. Princess Elephant's Tail (1177-word story)
285. A Weasel and his Wife (1181-word story)
286. The Hedgehog, the Jackal, and the Lion (1185-word story)
287. The Language of the Beasts (1191-word story)
288. The Man and the Bird (1208-word story)
289. A Hare Listening (1209-word story)
290. The Little Hare (1221-word story)
291. The Murder of Maciloniane (1227-word story)
292. The Woodcutter and His Donkey (1235-word story)
293. Hyena, Civet-Cat, and Rabbit (1245-word story)
294. Why the Hare’s Nose is Slit (1248-word story)
295. Lila and Fila (1249-word story)
296. Mbulukazi (1251-word story)
297. The Rat and the Toad (1254-word story)
298. The Story Of Hare (1254-word story)
299. Why the Bat is Ashamed to be seen in the Daytime (1256-word story)
300. The Story of the Leopard, the Tortoise, and the Bush Rat (1268-word story)
301. A Fable about Serpents (1283-word story)
302. The Hare (1290-word story)
303. Nunda the Slayer and the Origin of the One-Eyed (1300-word story)
304. What Employment out Lord Gave to Insects (1301-word story)
305. Five Heads (1306-word story)
306. Goso, the Teacher (1311-word story)
307. Half-a-Cock (1327-word story)
308. How a Hunter obtained Money from his Friends the Leopard, Goat, Bush Cat, Cock, and how he got out of repaying them (1335-word story)
309. Concerning the Leopard, the Squirrel, and the Tortoise (1338-word story)
310. The Monkey, the Shark, and the Washerman’s Donkey (1343-word story)
311. The Magician and the Sultan’s Son (1348-word story)
312. The Twin Brothers. (1348-word story)
313. Quarcoo Bah-Boni (1380-word story)
314. The Lion who took a Woman's Shape (1419-word story)
315. Baboon and Hare (again) (1447-word story)
316. The Bird That Made Milk. version 2 (1455-word story)
317. The Hare and the Lion (1463-word story)
318. The Tortoise and the Hyena (1466-word story)
319. The Jackal, the Hare and the Cock (1467-word story)
320. The Tale of Abunuwas (1482-word story)
321. The Hare and the Lion (1484-word story)
322. The Lion And Jackal (1533-word story)
323. The War of the Camel (1548-word story)
324. How the Jackal got his Stripe (1582-word story)
325. The Trapper, the Lion and the Hare (1611-word story)
326. The Flying Lion (1616-word story)
327. Crocodile's Treason (1629-word story)
328. The Mantis Makes an Eland (2nd version) (1643-word story)
329. The King, and his Daughter, and Mr. Tamba (1645-word story)
330. The Mantis Makes an Eland (1658-word story)
331. Why the Heron has a Crooked Neck (1667-word story)
332. The Buffalo Maiden (1670-word story)
333. A Cock and an Elephant (1684-word story)
334. Kenkebe (1694-word story)
335. The Goat, The Lion, and The Serpent (1700-word story)
336. Ohia and the Thieving Deer (1740-word story)
337. The Magic Date Trees (1798-word story)
338. The Ape, the Snake, and the Lion (1822-word story)
339. The Bird That Made Milk. version 1 (1840-word story)
340. The Ostrich Hunt (1848-word story)
341. The Sultan's Snake-child (1878-word story)
342. The Little Red Tortoise (1891-word story)
343. Musoke the Moon-boy (1922-word story)
344. The Spider, and the Ant-Eater and Mr. Taba (1922-word story)
345. Tangalimlibo (1937-word story)
346. A Jackal and a Hyena (1943-word story)
347. Binti Ali the Clever (1965-word story)
348. Unthlangunthlangu (1996-word story)
349. Lion and Hare (2016-word story)
350. Sikulume (2056-word story)
351. The Story of the Drummer and the Alligators (2176-word story)
352. The Animals’ Dam (2197-word story)
353. Of the Pretty Girl and the Seven Jealous Women (2292-word story)
354. Mantis, the Hottentot God (2317-word story)
355. Who was King? (2353-word story)
356. Ali of the Crooked Arm (2451-word story)
357. Pemba Muhori (2457-word story)
358. The Spider, and the Bushgoat, and the Ant-Eater, and the Leopard (2516-word story)
359. Ugungqu-Kubantwana (2658-word story)
360. The Woman with Two Skins (2672-word story)
361. How Jakhals Fed Oom Leeuw (2858-word story)
362. Mkaaah Jeechonee, the Boy Hunter (3294-word story)
363. Umdhlubu and the Frog (3336-word story)
364. The Physician’s Son and the King of the Snakes (4074-word story)
365. The Creation of Man (4750-word story)
366. Hlakanyana (5263-word story)
367. Haamdaanee (7874-word story)
     
     
     
368. The Jackal and the Rabbit. (26-word summary)
369. The Man Who Grew Feathers. (31-word summary)
370. The Fox and the Crow (33-word summary)
371. The Crow (37-word summary)
372. The King of the Forest. (38-word summary)
373. The Stump and the Eagle (39-word summary)
374. The Mouse and the Cat (42-word summary)
375. A Man, a Woman, and a Cat (43-word summary)
376. The Donkey and the Cat (43-word summary)
377. The Rat King's Son. (43-word summary)
378. Why Women Do Not Go Fishing (46-word summary)
379. Abba Bollo and the Necklace (47-word summary)
380. The Monkey's Birthday. (47-word summary)
381. How the Tortoise Got Her Shell. (48-word summary)
382. The Frog and the Rain (50-word summary)
383. A Hare Listening (51-word summary)
384. The Snake and the Rat (51-word summary)
385. The Jackal and the River (52-word summary)
386. Father Spider and his Son (54-word summary)
387. The Jackal and his Children (56-word summary)
388. When the World Began (59-word summary)
389. The Baboon's Headband. (62-word summary)
390. A Hen and its Chicks (66-word summary)
391. How the Tortoise Paid His Creditors (66-word summary)
392. A Mouse Mocking a Cat (67-word summary)
393. Foriwa's Beads (69-word summary)
394. The Origin of Creation (72-word summary)
395. The Whale and His Wife (73-word summary)
396. Why Leopards Hunt Deer (74-word summary)
397. Apunanwu (75-word summary)
398. The Old Lady, the Taleb, and the Hyena (77-word summary)
399. The Bull Who Gave Birth to a Calf. (78-word summary)
400. The Most Suitable Name (78-word summary)
401. The Hunter and the Lion (81-word summary)
402. The Jackal and the Churn Skin (82-word summary)
403. Why Tortoise's Shell Is Cracked (84-word summary)
404. A Man, His Wife, and a Hare (85-word summary)
405. Finders Keepers (85-word summary)
406. The Crown Made of Smoke (92-word summary)
407. The Hedgehog and the Jackal. (93-word summary)
408. The Magic Drum (94-word summary)
409. Everyone (98-word summary)
410. The Day the Sky Fell. (98-word summary)
411. The Hedgehog and the Jackal (99-word summary)
412. Why Hippo Flings his Dung (99-word summary)
413. Why Man and Fox Are Enemies (103-word summary)
414. The Turtle and the Flood (104-word summary)
415. The Viper, the Man, and the Hedgehog (104-word summary)
416. Origin of Death (109-word summary)
417. The Cat and the Rat (112-word summary)
418. Koi and the Kola Nuts (115-word summary)
419. The Magic Silk Cotton Tree (116-word summary)
420. Animal Language (117-word summary)
421. Noah and the panther (121-word summary)
422. The Sloogeh Dog and the Stolen Aroma (121-word summary)
423. The Serpent Groom (127-word summary)
424. A Bride for a Grain of Corn (129-word summary)
425. Solomon, the Hoopoe, and Queen Bilqis (135-word summary)
426. For Your Eyes Only (136-word summary)
427. The Boy Who Went to Heaven (136-word summary)
428. The Origin of Death (136-word summary)
429. Fereyel and Debbo Engal the Witch (147-word summary)
430. The Dog and the Cat (153-word summary)
431. The Horse with the Golden Dung (154-word summary)
432. Tricks for Tat (157-word summary)
433. Nansi and the Eagle (172-word summary)
434. Bush-Deer on the Bier (176-word summary)
435. Adventures of Mrile (289-word summary)