African Adventure Tales
African Adventure Tales

Two funny folktales from Africa come to life with stunning puppetry, spectacular scenery, and an infectious musical score.

"Koi and the Kola Nuts" is a tale from Liberia in which the young son of a chief sets out on a wonderful journey in search of fortune, carrying only a sack of kola nuts. His kindness to the creatures he meets is rewarded when their help saves his life! And in “Anansi the Spider," we meet one of the most hilarious trickster characters in world folklore.

Koi meets the crocodileIn “Koi and the Kola Nuts,” the youngest son of a Chief learns that his only inheritance is a scraggly kola tree. “You do not know how to treat the son of a chief!” Koi tells his village, and decides to travel the world. With only a sack of kola nuts on his back, he sets out on a wonderful journey in search of his place in the world. On his way he meets three creatures who are in need: a snake with a sick mother, a frantic army of ants fleeing the Forest Devil, and a repentant crocodile facing the wrath of the Rainmaker, whose dog he ate. All of the creatures are in dire need of kola nuts – the one thing Koi has – and Koi willingly gives away his inheritance to help the others. When Koi arrives at the next village empty-handed, no one believes that he is the son of a chief. The villagers insist that he prove himself by performing three impossible tasks. Impossible for Koi, perhaps, but not for his new friends, who seize the opportunity to repay Koi’s kindness. “He truly is the son of a chief!” the people cry, and welcome him to their village.

Elephant shows the melon to MonkeyIn “Anansi and the Talking Melon,” lazy Anansi eats his way into Elephant's melon and is too bloated to crawl out. The clever trickster decides this is a perfect opportunity to have some fun, and convinces Elephant that he owns a talking melon. Elephant can hardly believe his ears: “Wow! A talking melon!” Elephant takes the melon to Hippo, who is amazed: “I’ve never heard of a talking melon!” When Warthog hears the melon talk, he is astounded. “You have to show the King!” So Elephant sets off to demonstrate his miraculous melon to King Monkey. When the melon refuses to speak to the King, however, he becomes so angry that he kicks the melon far, far away, where it cracks open . . . and Anansi crawls out, thin again (after all that activity), and on the lookout for his next meal!

PicturesVideo ExcerptsAudience & techincal informationAfrican Adventure Tales Home