Hamzah's First Day |
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Contents |
Introduction
 Nigeria, one
of the great nations
of West
Africa, has a
long history in
oral storytelling. Before literacy came
to Nigeria, people passed on lessons and morals from generation to
generation by telling stories. The art of oral storytelling was
critical in preserving the experiences and beliefs of ancient people. Although Nigeria has been densely populated throughout its history, villages were isolated from each other by impenetrable vegetation and swampy terrain. This means that ideas were not shared between villages. Explanations of the world originated and evolved within a single village. During the early 1900s the District Comissioner of Nigeria, Elphinstone Dayrell, collected a variety of folk tales from different Nigerian villages and wrote them down. His book, "Folk Stories from Southern Nigeria," was published in 1910. This storybook contains four of these stories told by various storytellers. They are stories that villagers used to explain the state of the world. The frametale of this storybook is in the point of view of a young lion cub named Hamzah as he wanders around the Nigerian desert. He is very curious about the world he has been born into. Everywhere he looks he sees something or someone new and just has to know more! Early one morning little Hamzah wakes up and looks into the sky. He sees the Sun rising in the East and the Moon setting in the West. He learns a lot from his father when he tells him "Why the Sun and the Moon Live in the Sky." Later, while digging through some leaves, a nervous worm tells him "Why the Worms Live Beneath the Ground." While playing in the pond, the cub befriends a fish who explains "Why the Fish Lives in the Water." Finally, at the end of the day, Hamzah is frightened by a bat, and a bush rat tells him "Why the Bat Flies at Night." I hope you enjoy following Hamzah on his adventures and, through reading these stories, grow to appreciate the knowledge we have of the world around us. Although our understanding of nature is not and will never be complete, it can be very rewarding to look back and see how far we have come. As you are reading these stories it might be fun to think about how you would answer little Hamzah's questions: Why do the Sun and the Moon appear in the sky? Why do worms live underground? Why do fish live in the water? and finally, Why do bats fly at night? |
Coverpage Introduction Why the Sun and the Moon Live in the Sky Why the Worms Live Beneath the Ground Why the Fish Lives in the Water Why the Bat Flies at Night |
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| Image:
Hamzah Image Source: Daily Mail Author: Sara Barber |
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