The Brave and Courageous: A Collection of Adventure Folk Tales From Kenya, Africa

The Brave and Courageous Dreamers: A collection of Adventure Folk Tales from Kenya, Africa

As you read these short stories, you will notice herding cattle features in most of them. The reason is that cattle rearing was and is still the major source of income in most tribes of Africa. A family’s wealth was measured by the number of wives, children, and cattle a man had in his homestead. This tradition is still practiced in many parts of Africa, where dowries in the form of cows or goats must be paid by the groom and his family to the bride’s family prior to getting married. Boys never used to go to school, their chores involved taking the family’s herd to graze in the fields, a culture still practiced but dying slowly. 

The milk from the cows is used in the homes and the rest sold to the villagers who do not have cows; not everyone can afford a cow. Where parents have chosen to take their children to school, they get a helper to care for their herd. You will find every homestead has cows, bulls, goats, and sheep. For parents who have opted to take their children to school and have no other form of income, the herds come in handy, as they can sell one and pay school fees for their children.

Domestic animals in Africa play a major role in the homestead; dogs and cats are not considered as pets in most parts of Africa. Dogs are used mainly for security reasons to guard homes from intruders, and cats for catching rats and other unnecessary pests. The believe is – that everybody, including domestic animals, must earn their keep.