African folklore storytelling recounts the adventures of people and animals, and enlightens us on the mysteries of nature. One person does not invent folktales but they belong to the entire village, they are in the bones and the stones of the village.
African Folklore Story of How the Elephant Got Its’ Trunk
Now it is a matter of common knowledge that The elephant has a long trunk, which he uses both as a nose and as a sort of hand. It
is a very useful trunk indeed. But he was once without it, and had a very
ordinary short snout like other animals.
Elephant was always inquisitive and went sniffing
about the forest, prying into the secrets of the other animals. One day he came
across a dark hole in the ground, and into this hole, he poked his nose, to see
what was there.
He at once regretted his curiosity, for a large
snake, which lived in the hole, seized him by the nose and tried to swallow
him. At this, the Elephant made a great uproar, and his wife came rushing to his
assistance. She seized his tail and pulled and pulled, and the Elephant himself
also pulled and pulled, but the snake would not leave go.
As a result, the Elephant’s nose was drawn out into
the long trunk which he still has today.
At first, he was ashamed to appear in the forest,
because of his trunk, but now the other animals envy him.
One day the monkey, which imitates everybody,
looked down the same hole, thinking it would be good to have a long trunk to be
able to swing from the trees by his nose. But, the big snake who lived in the
hole swallowed him, and since then nobody else has tried to imitate Elephant.
Did you know?
Africa houses over 85% of the world’s elephants.