The Yam Child and Other Tales From West Africa: African Fireside Classics, #2

By A. Sakyiama

From talking yam tubers and polite little boys who throw up money, to the deliciously scary story of a disrespectful little girl who sets out to find something to see, this second collection of stories in the African Fireside Classics series has something for everyone.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Aso House Press
• Release date: Jul 24, 2013
• ISBN: 9781497768871

A. Sakyiama

A. Sakyiama was born in Ghana, West Africa. She grew up hearing many of the stories that she now retells for all of us to enjoy. She writes of the antics of wily folktale characters like Ananse, his son, Ntikuma and his clever wife, Aso. She tells stories of naughty and nice ghosts; scared but brave boys and girls; monsters that eat disobedient children; as well as fantastical tales about why things are the way they are.   A. Sakyiama currently lives in the USA with her family. She is also an avid gardener or more accurately, a fierce warrior who defends her territory against marauding gangs of deer, woodchucks, rabbits and crows. Visit her at www.asakyiama.com.

Book preview

The Yam Child

There is nothing that hurts like shame.

— Akan Proverb

THEY SAY THAT there was once a very prosperous woman, who had everything her heart could desire, except for a child. She longed for a daughter who looked like her; a daughter whose hair she could braid in elaborate styles; a daughter she could dress in fancy clothes; a daughter that she could teach to farm, trade and maintain a home; a daughter to whom she could leave her fortune.

Year after year, she remained childless. And, year after year, she got sadder and sadder even as she grew richer and richer. She was kind and generous in spite of her sorrow, so she was often invited as the guest of honor to important events. She never enjoyed herself at any of these celebrations. She watched the other mothers with their children and lamented that she did not have one to share the experience with.

One year, she decided to grow a large crop of yams to trade in the market. Every day as she worked on her farm, she would cry and wish for a daughter to help her. Her tears fell on the soil as she prepared it for planting. They watered the seed yams as she planted them in their mounds. As the yams grew and she tended to them, her tears watered them over and over again.

One day, after many months, she was harvesting the yams when she pulled out one that was particularly large and very well shaped. She cradled the yam, caressed it and said,

Ah, I would be so happy if only this fine tuber was a little girl.

Much to her surprise, the yam answered,

I could become a little girl if you like.

Please, would you be my daughter please? the woman pleaded.

If I become your daughter, would you promise never to shame me with the fact that I was first a common tuber of yam?

I promise, I promise, the woman said eagerly.

At once, the yam changed into a beautiful, bright-eyed little girl. The woman was overjoyed. She hugged her new daughter tight and promised to be the best mother ever. She named her child, Afriyie which means ‘from a good place at a good time.’

Afriyie was a smart, obedient and loving child. The two of them got on very well indeed. They had a wonderful time picking out cloth together and visiting the seamstress to have matching outfits made. The woman took great pleasure in grooming her daughter’s hair. In fact, Afriyie was often the best dressed and the best coiffed girl in town.

Patiently and lovingly, the woman taught Afriyie many things. As the years went by and she grew up, Afriyie learned how to cook, tend a farm, harvest foodstuffs and skillfully sell them for good prices at the market.

One market day, Afriyie was late coming home because she was haggling with a stubborn trader. Her mother was waiting to take her to a very important meeting with the queen-mother of the town.

As time went by and Afriyie did not come home, her mother became impatient and started muttering to herself. She went out to the road in front of her house and called out:

Afriyie, Afriyie, Afriyie ei.

There was no answering call. She walked out a little bit further and called out again, Afriyie, Afriyie, Afriyie ei.

Again, she got no response. In anger, she said out loud:

"Where can that girl be? Afriyie