The Girl Who Married a Lion

The Girl Who Married a Lion and Other Tales from Africa by Alexander McCall Smith Summary: Gathered here is a beguiling selection of folktales from Zimbabwe and Botswana as retold by the best-selling author of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. This treasury contains most of the stories previously collected in Children of Wax and seven new tales from the Setswana-speaking people of Botswana. A girl discovers that her young husband might actually be a lion in disguise, but not before they have two sons who might actually be cubs . . . When a child made of wax follows his curiosity outside into the heat of daylight and melts, his siblings shape him into a bird with feathers made of leaves that enable him to fly into the light . . . Talking hyenas, milk-giving birds, clever cannibals who nonetheless get their comeuppance, and mysterious forces that reside in the landscape—these wonderful fables bring us the wealth, the variety, and the particular magic of traditional African lore. Angie's Comments: These tales from Zimbabwe and Botswana are short and interesting. Each tale is the perfect size for a quick read of five minutes or less. A story about hyena and elephant was cute. Some of the stories are more graphic than others. Unlike Aesop’s Fables, some of the stories don’t seem to have a moral. So if you are looking for morals, this is not the collection to read! Recommended to readers interested in childhood tales from Africa.  Request this item