The Ox of the Wonderful Horns and Other African Folktales

by Ashley Bryan

Bryan, Ashley. 1971. The ox of the wonderful horns, and other African folktales. New York: Atheneum. ISBN 0-689-31799-9.

The Ox of the Wonderful Horns and Other African Folktales is a collection of five tales originating from Africa each retold by author, Ashley Bryan. The folktale for review is “The Ox of the Wonderful Horns”. The tale is that of a young boy named Mungalo, who is the son of a rich chief. The chief is wealthy not only in riches but also in wives. Of all the wives, Mungalo’s mother was the chief’s favorite. This caused resentment amongst the other wives, who even after Mungalo’s mother passed, continued to take out their jealousy and anger on Mungalo. Throughout the years, Mungalo suffered the wrath of his father’s wives however; Mungalo remained humble and obedient. He never strayed from believing in his mother’s promise that one day his father would give him a great white ox. Through that promise, Mungalo is awarded with goodness and righteousness. He explores the land and in time, with a wife of his own; he returns back to his father’s village, where he is now treated with kindness.

The characters in this folktale stay true to the classic characteristic of “good versus evil”. The main character, Mungalo, is the quintessence of goodness. His father’s “other wives” represent evil, corruption, and wickedness. Although Mungalo’s mother is mentioned briefly, I would say that it is of great importance for she symbolizes the human trait of “love and kindness”. Emphasizing this trait allows no room for misinterpreting the wickedness of the other mothers. Throughout the story there are several symbolisms, which one can self interpret. There are the ox’s horns; which I interpreted to symbolize hope and determination. The various obstacles which Mungalo and the ox face display a strong foundation in trust and loyalty. The story is not overly complicated with characters. The characters are representative of the African culture and traditions. Just as the singer, who takes the ox’s horns from Mungalo as he slept; I do believe each character serves a purpose and moves the story along it’s high and low points.

The plot of this story, which I would describe as being full of action, brings forth several emotions. It begins by creating a state of disbelief at how Mungalo is treated by his father’s many wives. As an outcome, there also develops a sense of sympathy for Mungalo. When Mungalo decides to leave his father’s home, suspense develops as we travel with Mungalo and face his many obstacles. Through theses obstacles, we experience both sadness and triumph. Each obstacle represents conflict, which is then followed by a resolution. I would agree that each point of conflict is as crucial to the story as the next. I would also satisfactorily agree that the story’s ending does in fact follow the characteristic pattern of that of a folktale; a happily ever after ending.

The setting is clearly defined and acknowledged throughout the story. I do not believe that it is an integral part of the story however; it functions informatively and guides the story along a period of time. Much like many of the other aspects of this folktale, its roots are clearly depicted through the setting and word usage. For example, Mungalo is from a village, where his father is chief. In the African culture it is tradition and custom for the village chief to be permitted to have more than one wife. It is also characteristic for African folktales to make reference to the vastness of the land, which this tale clearly describes throughout the story. Lastly, on page 38, the word usage in the phrase, “three moons passed”, is used to show a passing of time.

The theme of this folktale is most surely one of good triumphing over evil. It ends “happily ever after” in that Mungalo finds love and returns to his father’s village where he is welcomed by all including the very same mothers who were in the beginning cruel to him. I would say that there exist several morals within this story however; they are not forced upon the reader. Some of the morals may elude a younger audience however; I do believe that at a young age we are taught to not be “mean” to others. We are also taught at a young age to not steal. These are two morals of the story, which I believe children will be able to understand.

The style of this story is culturally specific, reflecting the African culture. As is the custom with African folktales; the folktale serves the purpose of preparing young people for life by providing lifelong lessons or morals to be learn. African folktales many times also include proverbs. I read that a single tribe may have as many as a thousand proverbs of their own. As is also common with African folktales, the main character of this folktale, aside from Mungalo, is an ox. African folktales frequently involve animals as the principle characters. Another example that the style is culturally specific can be seen through the description and mentioning of the land, the villages, the huts, the food, the names, dress and work habits of the characters.

The illustrations throughout this folktale are few however; each one artistically emphasizes an important element of the folktale. The illustrations compliment the story and reflect the cultural heritage of the tale however; I would not say that they extend the story. I would describe the art to be more of a visual abstraction, which is customary to African art.

The cultural markers throughout this folktale are plenty and I believe, accurately reflect the culture. From the setting of the village, the daily work of the characters, the initiation into the tribe, the vastness of the land, to the tradition of chief’s having more than one wife; the reader can gain insight into the culture and customs. The illustrations are also cultural representations of African art. Throughout the story certain words are used which also have cultural orientations, for example; kraal. Kraal, as defined by Merriam-Webster dictionary, is a village of southern African natives.

In addition to The Ox of the Wonderful Horns”, the author presents four additional tales. There is a table of contents and source information is provided for each tale. Each tale contains minimal illustrations however; they are also reflective of the cultural heritage of the tale. I do not believe the tales are familiar to young readers and believe they are intended for adults to share with young readers.

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS:
N/A

COMMUNITY REVIEW:
One of several folktale collections created by African-American artist and author Ashley Bryan, The Ox of the Wonderful Horns contains five tales, taken from the folk traditions of three African nations. Unlike Beautiful Blackbird - the first of Bryan's titles that I read, which, save for the artwork, did not impress me greatly - the source material for these selections is prominently listed, at the beginning of the book. I appreciated that (unattributed, or clumsily revised folklore being one of my pet peeves), enjoyed the tales themselves, and thought Bryan's block-print illustrations were gorgeous. I'm glad I gave this author/artists another try! Abigail -8/24/09

CONNECTIONS-Related Books:
Ashley Bryan’s African Tales, Uh-huh
Lion and the Ostrich Chicks and Other African Folk Tales