Hunterman and the Crocodile: A West African Folktale

Bamba and his family of crocodiles have made a pilgrimage to Mecca and as they return they need the help of an African hunter, Donso, to get back to the river. Donso makes a bargain to help the crocodiles even though he isn't sure he trusts them and sure enough, halfway across the river the crocodile grabs Donso's hand in his mouth. Donso calls for help but one by one the animals tell him no because man, it turns out, has not shown respect for the animals. "Man does not deserve my help." Finally a rabbit agrees to help the hunter and then finds himself needing the help of the crocodiles. We all need each other and we all need to respect each other. The message is that cooperation and respect for all is the best practice. This is a great example of African storytelling and makes a fun-filled read aloud.