Reading Notes: Nigerian Folk Stories (Part A)

1. Of the Pretty Stranger who Killed the King

• Synopsis:
• The king was excellent at war strategies and won many battles
• Prisoners became slaves
• He had lots of enemies, but no one could defeat him
• One rival went to the town witch and offered her riches in exchange for the king's death
• The witch disguised herself as a beautiful maiden
• She went to a festival where she was seen by the king
• He found her so beautiful, he proposed that night
• She went to visit the king and fed him food laced with a sleeping potion
• The king falls and the witch decapitates him
• She takes his head with her when she leaves as proof
• The rival king sees the head and decides to attack the now unprotected village
• It's a slaughter
• Possibilities:
• Rewritten for modern times
• I'm thinking a bad-ass, James Bond-esque assassin

Daggers by anndr
via DeviantArt

3. The Disobedient Daughter who Married a Skull

• Synopsis:
• There was a very beautiful girl who refused to marry any of her parents suitors
• They were all old and ugly
• She swore to only marry someone as beautiful as herself
• A skull from the spirit world heard of this girl and Frankenstein'd together a perfect male body in which to pursue her
• The girl sees him in the market and immediately takes him home
• He asks for her parent's blessing
• They initially refuse, but eventually give in
• The couple leave to go back to the skulls home country
• The girl just thought it was a far off village
• Upon reaching the spirit world, the skull reverts back to his original form
• The girl wishes to go home
• The skull forbids it
• She meets the skull's mother, a weak old woman and befriends her by helping with chores around the house
• The old woman feels bad for the girl and has grown quite fond of her
• The people of the spirit realm are cannibals and are going to eat the girl
• She arranges to have a breeze carry the girl home on the condition that she obey her parents going forward
• The girl agrees
• She gets home and marries one of her parents friends
• Possibilities:
• I would love to rewrite this story from the Skull's Mother's point of view

9. Why a Hawk Kills Chickens

• Synopsis:
• A hawk sees a beautiful hen eating corn
• He lands and proposes marriage
• She accepts
• The Chicken and the Hawk move to the Hawks Home
• A Rooster, that had had feelings for the hen for a few months decided to win her back
• She runs away with him
• The Hawk sees this and is Angry
• When the hawk complains to the king about the Hen's behavior, her family is ordered to return her dowry
• They are poor and can't afford to return it
• The hawk is given permission to kill a chicken whenever he feels like it instead
• Possibilities:
• I would definitely want to consider redoing this tale from a first person point of view
• Hen
• Hawk
• The animals could be rewritten as humans in a soap opera style piece

Story Source: Nigerian Folk Stories