Gearing up for NaNoWriMo: Animal Stories from Africa

I set this blog up for NaNoWriMo 2021, which is about 10 days away! In the meantime, I've been using the blog for some work I'm doing on proverbs from Africa, and soon I'll start posting animal stories from Africa here as my November writing project. Since it's #WhyIWrite day today, I thought I'd set down some thoughts about what I want to accomplish with this year's NaNoWriMo project. :-)

My goal is to create a book of African folktales about animals from public domain texts. I'll do some light editing of the texts (getting rid of archaic thees and thous, for example) and I'll also write up some notes so that the stories will work for an audience of general readers, people who are interested in African folklore but who might not know anything about these traditions before they start reading. I hope the final result will be a book that people will enjoy reading and, even better, a book that will inspire them to seek out even more African folktales to read and enjoy. 

And there are so many African folktales to read and enjoy: literally thousands of stories available in English. I've been curating a collection of African folktale books that are just a click away at the Internet Archive, and there are over 200 books so far, both public domain books and more contemporary books available via Controlled Digital Lending.

The idea is to create something like Paul Radin's African Folktales or Harold Scheub's African Storyteller, but done with public domain texts only, and with an OER CC0 license so that people can adapt the contents for their own educational purposes. That means the book can be free of cost, and I think that is important. 

Just today I saw this item at Twitter:

That made me ask a related question: why should the people of Africa or the African diaspora have to pay to get access to their own stories? So, using the power of Pressbooks, I'll be able to create a book in digital format that will be free to download and very mobile-friendly (yay for Pressbooks and epubs! you can see my previous Pressbooks publications here). I'll put this book into the public domain (CC0) since all that I'm adding is notes and curation; the core of the project is already in the public domain after all!

Radin's book and Scheub's book are not free. They are both great books, available for sale and also available for checkout at the Internet Archive and at many libraries... but not free. I want to write a book that will be free, and now that I am retired, I have the luxury of time to make that possible, repurposing and annotating public domain sources. 

Working exclusively with public domain sources has its limitations (I'll have lots more to say about that as the project takes shape), but I can also make sure I do a good job of finding really good public domain stories to include. Over the past 6 months, I have been collecting and transcribing African animal tales from public domain books in English, and I've now got over 1700 stories transcribed, just waiting to be republished in new forms/formats. And those are just the animal folktales! I'm thinking that if this project goes well I will do a follow-up volume with hero stories or fairy tales or dilemma tales or some other genre of African folktales.

As I said above: SO. MANY. FOLKTALES.

And why the focus on animal tales? Lots of reasons, but the simplest answer is: they are my favorites. My academic career focused on Aesop's fables, which are not exclusively animal fables, but animal characters predominate. Even after working on Aesop for almost 40 years, I'm still fascinated... and a new question of fascination to me concerns the back-and-forth between the Aesopic tradition and African folktaltes (but that's a topic for another post and another project).

More recently, I became obsessed with the African American stories of Brer Rabbit; that was back in December of 2018, when I read Julius Lester's Brer Rabbit book over winter break (best English version of the stories hands down in my opinion). Then in the summer of 2019, I retold all of the Joel Chandler Harris stories in without the eye-dialect that Harris used, and without the repugnant Uncle Remus framing: Ole Brer Rabbit. That's also when I started learning about the African origins of these stories. I had to rely on other scholars for that; my knowledge of African folktales was minimal. I vowed that as soon as I retired (which ended up happening sooner than expected because of the pandemic), I would immerse myself in the study of African folktale traditions.

So, I retired in May 2021, and that's when I started inventorying the contents of African folktale books in English, focusing on public domain books to start with because those offer the greatest freedom for reuse. I've also found articles in folklore journals in the public domain, and I've now indexed animal stories from over 100 public domain books and articles.

As I've transcribed the stories (i.e. made corrections to the OCR provided by my online sources), I've kept track of the length of the stories: they range from 36 words to over 8000 words. The label "story" encompasses quite a wide range! I've been working with the shorter to stories to create a Tiny Tales book that I should be able to publish on October 31, clearing the decks just in time for NaNoWriMo; you can find out more about that here: Tiny Tales from Africa.

For NaNoWriMo, I'll be able to take a look at the longer stories and find the best ones to include in a book. I'm hoping to cover a wide range of sources, so the idea will also be to find the single best story, or maybe two, from a given source, knowing that people can then go read that book or article for themselves and enjoy all the stories that it contains.

Anyway, that's the plan! I set up my NaNoWriMo page and now I'm just waiting for November 1 to arrive. Whatever happens with the writing, I know I am going to enjoy reading so many stories, looking for the ones I want to work with and share. 

Bantu proverbs from Cameroon (5)

Source: Proverbs from West Africa by C. J. Bender, 1924. Online at the Internet Archive. The book includes only the English text, and nothing more specific than "Bantu" for the source (there are several Bantu peoples who live in Cameroon). See more proverbs from this collection. I've made a slideshow just of this collection also (adding new slides gradually):

Bender was a missionary in Cameroon, and you can find out more about the peoples of Cameroon at Wikipedia.

Below are the proverbs I chose from this book; when I've rephrased, I've included the book's version in parentheses. If there is no version in parentheses, that means I didn't make any changes. You can see the whole slideshow here: African Proverbs.

A basket that falls into the river will not return.

(A basket which has fallen into the river will never come back.)

A bird in one's hand is worth two in the woods.

Don't play with the dog's tail, and you won't get bit.

(Do not play with the tail of a dog, and you will not be bitten.)

Even the brightest fire goes out by morning.

(Even the brightest fire will be extinct in the morning.)

Two goats in the same stall will never agree.

(Two he-goats in one and the same stall will never agree.)

Bantu proverbs from Cameroon (4)

Source: Proverbs from West Africa by C. J. Bender, 1924. Online at the Internet Archive. The book includes only the English text, and nothing more specific than "Bantu" for the source (there are several Bantu peoples who live in Cameroon). See more proverbs from this collection. I've made a slideshow just of this collection also (adding new slides gradually):

Bender was a missionary in Cameroon, and you can find out more about the peoples of Cameroon at Wikipedia.

Below are the proverbs I chose from this book; when I've rephrased, I've included the book's version in parentheses. If there is no version in parentheses, that means I didn't make any changes. You can see the whole slideshow here: African Proverbs.

"I never even liked fish." So said the crane after the fish got away.

("Why fuss about it? I never liked fish anyway," said the crane.)

Leopards and goats do not associate.

(Leopards and goats do not associate with each other in herds.)

The turtle hides his head in his shell.

[sometimes you need to keep your thoughts to yourself]

When peeling cassava, look out for your fingers!

(When peeling yam look out for your fingers!)

You want eggs? Take good care of the hen.

(Would you eat eggs? Then take care of the hen!)

Bantu proverbs from Cameroon (3).

Source: Proverbs from West Africa by C. J. Bender, 1924. Online at the Internet Archive. The book includes only the English text, and nothing more specific than "Bantu" for the source (there are several Bantu peoples who live in Cameroon). See more proverbs from this collection. I've made a slideshow just of this collection also (adding new slides gradually):

Bender was a missionary in Cameroon, and you can find out more about the peoples of Cameroon at Wikipedia.

Below are the proverbs I chose from this book; when I've rephrased, I've included the book's version in parentheses. If there is no version in parentheses, that means I didn't make any changes. You can see the whole slideshow here: African Proverbs.

A tree without roots will not stand.

How will people gather for the dance if the drum is not heard?

(How shall the people gather for the dance, if the sound of the drum is not heard?)

If the calabash has broken, why cry?

(The calabash is broken: why cry?)
[like not crying over spilled milk]

If you bring fire into your hut, don't complain about the smoke.

(If you bring a firebrand into your hut then do not complain of the smoke.)
[for example: a wife, and the wife's relation]

Remind the king of his sandals, and he'll send you to get them.

(Remind the chief of his sandals, and he'll send you to get them.)

Bantu proverbs from Cameroon (2).

Source: Proverbs from West Africa by C. J. Bender, 1924. Online at the Internet Archive. The book includes only the English text, and nothing more specific than "Bantu" for the source (there are several Bantu peoples who live in Cameroon). See more proverbs from this collection. I've made a slideshow just of this collection also (adding new slides gradually):

Bender was a missionary in Cameroon, and you can find out more about the peoples of Cameroon at Wikipedia.

Below are the proverbs I chose from this book; when I've rephrased, I've included the book's version in parentheses. If there is no version in parentheses, that means I didn't make any changes. You can see the whole slideshow here: African Proverbs.

Don't despise the old hoe before you've tried the new one.

(Never despise the old hoe, before you have tried out the new one.)

I scratch with both feet, said the chicken; if I don't find anything with one foot, I will with the other.

If you're going to sweep, you can't sit on the broom.

(He who would sweep the hut must not sit on the broom.)

It rained on the mountain, but the valley was flooded.

(It rained on the mountain-top, but the valley below was flooded.)

The poor man's back benefits the rich man's stomach.

Bantu proverbs from Cameroon (1).

Source: Proverbs from West Africa by C. J. Bender, 1924. Online at the Internet Archive. The book includes only the English text, and nothing more specific than "Bantu" for the source (there are several Bantu peoples who live in Cameroon). See more proverbs from this collection.

Bender was a missionary in Cameroon, and you can find out more about the peoples of Cameroon at Wikipedia.

Below are the proverbs I chose from this book; when I've rephrased, I've included the book's version in parentheses. If there is no version in parentheses, that means I didn't make any changes. You can see the whole slideshow here: African Proverbs.

Many drops will fill the pot.

One person cannot paddle two canoes.

(No man can paddle two canoes at the same time.)

The fish envy the crab's claws.

(The fishes envy the crab on account of his shears.)

The young crocodile doesn't mind falling into the water.

(A young alligator will not mind falling into the water.)

A bird's foot never fails to grasp the branch.

(The foot of a bird will not miss the branch.)

Proverbs from South Africa

Source: South African Folk-lore Journal, published in 1879. Online at the Internet Archive. The book includes the Tswana and Ovaherero text plus the English translation.

You can find out more about the Tswana and Herero peoples at Wikipedia. 

Below are the proverbs I chose from this book; when I've rephrased, I've included the book's version in parentheses. If there is no version in parentheses, that means I didn't make any changes. You can see the whole slideshow here: African Proverbs.

Sechuana Proverbs contributed by Mr. S. H. Edwards.

The baboon climbs, but doesn't forget that he may fall.

(The baboon is a climber, but does not forget that he may fall.)

There are many dawns.

The lion who kills is the one who doesn't roar.

(The lion which kills is the one which does not roar.)

~ ~ ~

Proverbs of the Ovaherero by Cornelius Zeraus.

The world is always twisting and turning, like the horn of the kudu.

(The world is something turning or changeable like the horn of the koodoo.)

Swahili proverbs from Zanzibar

Source: Swahili Tales by Edward Steere, 1870. Online at the Internet Archive. The book includes the Swahili text plus the English translation. You can see the island of Zanzibar off the eastern coast of Africa, just north of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania.

You can find out more about the Swahili language at Wikipedia.

Below are the proverbs I chose from this book; when I've rephrased, I've included the book's version in parentheses. If there is no version in parentheses, that means I didn't make any changes. You can see the whole slideshow here: African Proverbs.

If you are running on a rooftop, stop at the edge.

(Running on a roof ends at the edge of it.)

Someone drunk with wine gets sober;
someone drunk with wealth does not.

(He that is drunk with wine gets sober; he that is drunk with wealth does not.)

Use your clay while it is wet.

When two elephants fight, the grass suffers.

(When two elephants struggle, it is the grass that suffers.)

Who will dance when the lion roars?

(Who will dance to a lion's roaring?)

Sotho proverbs from southern Africa

Source: The Basutos; or, twenty-three years in South Africa by Eugene Arnaud Casalis, 1861. Online at the Internet Archive. The book includes only the English versions of the proverbs.

You can find out more about the Sotho people of southern Africa at Wikipedia. 

Below are the proverbs I chose from this book; when I've rephrased, I've included the book's version in parentheses. If there is no version in parentheses, that means I didn't make any changes. You can see the whole slideshow here: African Proverbs.

Human blood is heavy; it weighs down those who shed it so they can't run.

(Human blood is heavy; it prevents him who has shed it from running away.)

Hunger brings the crocodile out of the water.

(Hunger brings the crocodile out of the water.)

Hunger is hidden behind sacks of plenty.

(Hunger is hidden under the sacks.)
[for rich people who ignore the poor]

In the dregs of the drinking cup there is blood.

(There is blood in the dregs.)
[i.e., drinking alcohol can lead to violence]

Lions growl over their food.

(Lions growl over their food. )
[for those who are always complaining]

New waters drive the old waters before them.

(New waters drive the old waters before them.)
[like the generations of mankind]

The needle's point must pass first.

(The point of the needle must pass first. )
[i.e., speak directly, get to the point]

Tomorrow will give birth to the day after tomorrow.

(Tomorrow will give birth to the day after tomorrow.)
[i.e., don't procrastinate]

Water never gets tired of flowing.

(Water is never weary of flowing.)
[for people who talk too much]

You can drown in a river that is only knee-deep.

(One may be drowned in a river, the water of which does not appear knee-deep.)
[i.e., don't be deceived by appearances]

You cannot play safely with a serpent.

(One cannot play with a serpent with impunity.)