Zanzibar Tales

Zanzibar Tales is a collection of folklore from Zanzibar, an area of Tanzania in East Africa. The stories were translated from their native Swahili by translator George W. Bateman. Some publications of Zanzibar Tales include “Told by Natives of the East Coast of Africa.” Bateman explains that these tales were told to him by natives, who heard them from their parents, who had the tales passed down to them by their ancestors. He also marvels at their cleverness, calling the gazelle in the story “Haadaanee” much more clever than Puss in Boots, and that the author of the popular children's story “The House That Jack Built” was a poor genius compared to the tale “Goso, the Teacher” from the collection. He took care to translate the stories and make them easily read aloud by writing the names exactly as they are said.