Folktale: The Talking Skull
Story time: this is our retelling of a West African (told among the Nupe and others) folktale, told in many versions across generations. Read it aloud with the children in your life.
A hunter walking through the bush stumbled on an old human skull lying in the grass. Out of curiosity he asked aloud, “What brought you here?”
To his shock, the skull answered: “Talking brought me here.”
The hunter ran all the way to the king’s palace. “Kabiyesi! I found a skull in the bush, and it speaks!” The king frowned. “Skulls do not speak. If you are lying, you will pay with your head.” “I am not lying,” said the hunter. “Come and see.”
The king sent guards with the hunter. They found the skull, and the hunter asked again: “What brought you here?” The skull said nothing. He begged, he shouted, he pleaded. Silence.
The guards did as the king had ordered. When they had gone, the skull spoke at last: “What brought you here?” And the hunter’s skull replied, “Talking brought me here.”
The lesson
Some things are better kept to yourself. Think before you speak, especially when you rush to tell others something you cannot prove.
Talk about it
- Why did the skull stay silent in front of the guards?
- What should the hunter have done instead?
- When is it wise to keep news to yourself?
Over to you: Did you hear a different version of this story growing up? Tell us in the comments or share your story.
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