Three Tales of Wisdom

By Nkechi Taifa and Mary E. Mudiku

This book from master storyteller Nkechi Taifa contains three separate wisdom-filled stories:

AYANNA, THE BEAUTIFUL FLOWER

The tale of how Anansi's magic helped Ayanna get to the Harvest Festival, despite the fact hat her two sisters failed to follow the Seven Principles of our New African value

• Language: English
• Publisher: House of Songhay II
• Release date: Oct 8, 2021
• ISBN: 9781737982500

Nkechi Taifa

Nkechi Taifa is an attorney, activist, educator, author and mother. She is the author of several books for young people: Shining Legacy: Storypoems for the Young, So Black Heroes and Heroines Forever Will Be Sung; The Adventures of Kojo and Ama; Three Tales of Wisdom; New Afrikan Children of the Sun (co-authored with Imamu Kuumba), and, forthcoming, Aisha and the Magic Ankh. These classics were originally written while teaching at an Independent Black School during the late 1970's and some have now been re-published for a new generation. Taifa is also the author of the best-seller memoir - Black Power, Black Lawyer: My Audacious Quest for Justice.

Book preview

The time is always right to do what is right.

If you can’t fly, then run. If you can’t run, then walk. If you can’t walk, then crawl. But whatever you do, you’ve got to keep moving forward!

AYANNA, the Beautiful Flower

Last night I had a dream. In one of the little houses on Freedom Lane, I saw a beautiful young sister whose skin was like ebony and whose eyes shone like midnight. She looked as lovely as a beautiful flower, therefore her name was Ayanna.

Ayanna practiced the Seven Principles of our New African value system each and every day. But very sad to say, Ayanna had two sisters who felt they did not need to follow the Seven Principles anymore. Not only had her sisters become selfish and greedy, but they did absolutely no kazi at all around the house.

When it was time to wash the dishes, Ayanna did the kazi. When the floor was dirty, Ayanna swept. When everyone was hungry, Ayanna cooked. Her two sisters just kept on being lazy and forgot about the value of UJIMA, collective work and responsibility.

One day, the community drummers beat out a message that there was going to be a big festival that night in Garvey Square, celebrating the harvesting of the first crops of their New African community since the Nation became free. And speaking at this festival would be a fine freedom fighter who had fought bravely in the Nation’s war for liberation. Now all of the sisters in the Community were very excited to hear this, for they all knew this brother was seeking a wife.

Ayanna worked even harder around the house that day, because we all know before one goes out to have a good time, all the kazi must be completed But while Ayanna was busy doing all the work, her two sisters just primped in front of the mirror, picked out their Afros and gathering the most colorful material in the house and wrapping it around their bodies.

I heard that the brave warrior who will be at the festival tonight likes many different colors, one sister said haughtily as she picked up a bright panel of fabric and wrapped it around her body. I’m quite sure he will ask ME to be his wife.

Ayanna! her other sister snapped. Come here and cornrow my hair. I heard this brother likes many braids!