picture of a tortoise, rat and a squirrel at a market place in a yoruba folktale, fighting with tortoise beating the rat with a stick.

5. Why Ijapa’s Nose is Very Small (Ijapa, Asin and Okere).

A long, long time ago, when the world was very different from the way it is today, there lived a...

picture of a tortoise in distress, in a yoruba folktale, with burnt head, holding a deep cap with piping hot porridge yam.

4. Why Ijapa Is Bald.

A long time ago, the world was very different. Humans and animals had much in common, lived side by side,...

picture of a tortoise in distress in a yoruba folktale showing his very large and extended stomach walking outside his town with people looking at him

3. How Tortoise (Ijapa)’s Stomach Became Hollow (Ijapa and Babalawo).

A long, long time ago in Teregun, a town in a far away land there was a tortoise, Ijapa, who...

2. How Tortoise (Ijapa) Cracked His Shell.

A long, long time ago there was famine in Teregun, a town in a faraway land where a tortoise, Ijapa,...

picture of a tortoise in a Yoruba folktale stealing groundnuts at a market place as the market people dance away from the market.

1. How Tortoise (Ijapa) Got His Shell – Ìjàpá and Ìyá- Ẹlépà.

A long time ago, the world was very different. Humans and animals had much in common, lived side by side,...

Ijapa ati Iya- Ẹlẹpa

Ijapa ati Iya- Ẹlẹpa

Ni igba lailai awọn enia ati ẹranko ngbe lẹgbẹ ara wọn, wọn nsọ ede kanna, wọn si nhuwa bakan na. Ni...

picture of a tortoise in a yoruba folktale carrying a huge gourd.

36. Ijapa (Tortoise) and all the wisdom of the World

Many, many years ago, when the world was very different from the way it is today, there was a tortoise,...

picture of a pig and a tortoise in a yoruba folktale travelling together.

35. Tortoise (Ijapa) and Pig (Ẹlẹdẹ)

Many, many years ago, in a town called Lagoni, in a faraway land, there lived a tortoise, Ijapa, and a...

picture of a tortoise in a yoruba folktale and a phython.

34. Ijapa (Tortoise) and Ọjọla (Python)

Many, many years ago, when the world was totally different from the way it is today, there were a lot...

33. Ijapa (Tortoise) stole yam from his in-law

Many, many years ago, in the town called Lagoni, in a far, far away land, there lived a tortoise, Ijapa,...

picture of a contest at the palace of a king (oba) in a yoruba folktale, with his town's people around him and a tortoise in front of them holding a goblet of piping hot water.

32. Ijapa and the Hot-WaterTest

A long, long time ago in Lagoni, a town in a faraway land – there was an Ọba (the ruler...

picture of a tortoise and hare in a foot race in a yoruba folktale,

31. Ijapa (Tortoise) and Ehoro (Hare)

Many, many years ago, when the world was very different from the way it is today, animals had a lot...