"When Lion Could Fly" is just one of over 30 stories from folklore and mythology about African animals and other creatures native to the grasslands and rainforests. Handed down by word of mouth through generations of tribal life in a dozen sub-Saharan African tribes, these tales reflect the extraordinarily close relationship that existed between man and animals who lived in very close proximity for centuries. Nick Greaves, who lives in Zimbabwe, has studied the traditional animal stories from different tribes from many parts of the continent. In this book, a follow-up to his highly successful "When Hippo Was Hairy", he records the best: there are tales about lion, jackal, tortoise, mongoose, monkey, porcupine, aardvark and even dung beetle. Some are amusing, some sad, all compelling, and in recording them, he has preserved them forever as well providing a fascinating picture of a land and its people. As vivid as the stories themselves are Rod Clement's brilliant and detailed paintings of each animal in its natural habitat. Each story is illustrated by his sketches and after the story itself there is factual information about the animal's habits, lifespan and size, with distribution maps showing where they live. The book is aimed at a wide age group from about six up to early teenage. It will entertain, inform and above all make children aware of cultures and landscape so different from their own. Africa is facing its gravest threat yet - overpopulation. Deforestation and other ecological disasters caused by development programmes further exacerbate the situation. This book will help show the younger generation the beauty and diversity of what we have inherited and the importance of preserving it.

 

There are 144 pages in this book. This is a short story book. This book was published 1993 by James Clarke & Co Ltd .

Nick Greaves was born and educated in England, where he studied geology and environmental sciences before leaving to work in southern Africa. His work as a geologist took him to many of the remote and unspoiled regions of south Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Southern Africa. There he developed a lasting fascination for the wildlife and its varied, often fragile habitat. He now lives in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. Rod Clement is a renowned author, illustrator and cartoonist. He has written and illustrated Grandad's Teeth, Just Another Ordinary Day and Feathers for Phoebe, and illustrated Edward the Emu and Edwina the Emu, both written by Sheena Knowles. He is also the cartoonist for several Australian newspapers. He lives in Sydney, Australia.

This book has the following chapters: Acknowledgements Introduction General Information In the Beginning Serval and Tortoise (A Tswana story) How Serval Got His Spots (A Ndebele fable) Facts about Servals Lion and Caracal (A Batonka story) Caracal, Eland, and Jackal (A Batonka story) Facts about Caracals Why Mongoose Kills Snakes (A Bushman story) Why Bat Flies at Night (A Zula story) Facts about Mongooses Why Aardvark Lives Underground (A Shona story) The Kindly Aardvark Lives Underground (A Shona story) Facts about Aardvarks Why Pangolin Has Scales (A story from the Angoni) Facts about Pangolins Why Porcupine Has Quills (A Batonka story) Facts about Porcupines Monkey's Heart (A story from the Swahili of east Africa) Why Monkeys Look Like People (A Shona fable) Facts about Vervet Monkeys What Squirrel Saw (A story from the Hambakunshu) Squirrel and Spider's Web (A Bushman story) Facts about Tree Squirrels Kudu and Jackal Go Swimming Kudu's Wonderful Horns (A Hottentot tale) Facts about Kudus Why Bushbuck Has a Red Coat (A story from the Herero) Facts about Bushbucks Duiker Saves Chief Khama I (a story from the Bamangwato) Facts about Duikers When Lion Could Fly (and Why Vulture Scavenges) (An ancient Hottentot tale) Why There Are Cracks in Tortoise's Shell (A story from the Barotse) Facts about Vultures Why Guinea Fowl Calls at Dawn (and Why Flies Buzz) (An Ekoi tale) Facts about Giunea Fowls Honeyguide's Revenge (A tale from the Ndebele) The Birds' Great Race (A story from the Bushman) Facts about Honeygiudes The Hare and the Crocodile (A Hambakushu legend) Facts about Crocodiles Python Saves the Animals (A Swazi story) Why Python Can Shed His Skin (A tale from the Mende) Facts about Pythons Chameleon and First Man (A story from the Ndebele) Chameleon and the Greedy Spider (A Bushman legend) Facts about Chameleons Why Dung Beetle Is So Strong (A Batonka story) Dung Beetle's Burden (A story from Ghana) Facts about Dung Beetles Glossary Bibliography Further Reading