Sue's Imaginarium

In a quiet African village where the sun painted the sky gold each evening, there stood an enormous baobab tree. Its trunk was wide and round, and its branches stretched like the arms of a giant. To the villagers, the baobab was more than just a tree—it was a place of shade, a meeting point, and a keeper of stories. But what no one knew was that this baobab hid a secret. Deep inside its trunk lay treasures of gold, gems, and wisdom. Only those who could prove their patience would ever discover them. 👧 The Curious Girl In this village lived a little girl named Ama. Ama was clever, curious, and full of questions. She loved to climb trees, listen to the elders’ tales, and explore the world around her. But Ama had one problem: she was not patient. If her mother told her to wait for food to cool, she burned her tongue. If her friends said, “Let’s save our fruit for later,” Ama ate hers first and complained when she had none left. One evening, Ama’s grandmother told her a story under ...

  In West African folklore, Anansi the Spider is known for his cleverness, tricks, and love for outsmarting others. But sometimes, even the cleverest can be caught by their own foolishness. This is one such tale—a story about money, wisdom, and the power of planning ahead. The Bag of Cowries Long ago, in a village near the great forest, cowrie shells were the treasure everyone valued. They were used to trade for food, cloth, and all the necessities of life. One bright morning, Anansi the Spider entered a contest hosted by the village chief. The challenge was simple: tell the cleverest story, one that would make the whole crowd laugh and think at the same time. Of course, Anansi’s tongue was quick, and his wit was sharp. His tale had the villagers rolling in laughter and nodding in amazement. The chief, impressed, awarded him the prize—a whole bag of shiny cowrie shells. “Oh, fortune smiles on me today!” Anansi shouted. He danced in circles, showing off his prize. His friend,...

 Mark was the kind of dad everyone admired. He worked hard, provided for his family, showed up at soccer games, and cracked silly jokes at the dinner table. To his neighbours and friends, he looked like the definition of a good father. But there was one part of life Mark quietly avoided — prayer. He grew up in a home where faith existed, but it wasn’t personal. His parents prayed before meals and on Sundays, but at home, prayer felt more like a ritual than a relationship. As an adult, Mark carried that same distance. He figured, “If I put food on the table and love my kids, that’s enough.” So, when his wife, Sarah, knelt by the kids’ beds at night to pray, Mark would often slip out of the room. He thought, “That’s her thing. The kids don’t need me for that.” What he didn’t realize was how much his children noticed. 🌱 A Quiet Gap in the Family His daughter, Emily, was seven when she first asked him, “Daddy, why don’t you pray with us?” The question stopped him in his tracks....

  Long ago, in a busy African village where the marketplace was full of laughter and music, there lived a humble weaver named Abena. Every day, she sat under the shade of a mango tree, weaving colourful cloth with her nimble fingers. People loved her work, and she was always paid in coins. But unlike many others, Abena did not rush to the market to spend her money on sweets, jewellery, or feasts. Instead, she had a secret—beside her loom sat a clay pot. Each day, after selling her cloth, she dropped a few coins into the pot. Clink, clink! went the coins. Children often asked, “Weaver Abena, why don’t you spend your money right away?” She would smile gently and say, “Coins are like seeds. If you save them and use them wisely, they will grow into something greater.” 🌱 The Village Feast One year, the chief announced that a grand feast would be held. Everyone was excited. The villagers ran to the market, buying fine clothes, big drums, and piles of food. Abena too wanted to jo...

  Long ago, in a small African village where children played under baobab trees and the river sang every evening, there lived a boy named Kofi. Kofi was cheerful, clever, and loved by everyone. But Kofi had one weakness: he spent everything he had as soon as he got it. If someone gave him three cowries, he would run to the market and spend all three on roasted maize. If his uncle gave him a calabash of groundnuts, Kofi would eat and share them all before the day was done. His grandmother often warned him, “Kofi, my child, money and food must be cared for like seeds. If you eat all your seeds today, what will you plant tomorrow?” But Kofi only laughed. “Grandmother, the market is full every day! There will always be more!” 🌱 The Magical Calabash One evening, while walking by the river, Kofi found a beautiful calabash floating gently in the water. It glowed faintly in the moonlight. Excited, he carried it home. When he reached his hut, he set it down and said, “If only this c...

  Long ago, when animals could talk and lived together in a big village, there was a small but clever tortoise. He was known for his big dreams and even bigger appetite for things he didn’t really need. Tortoise loved collecting shiny objects—cowrie shells, beads, feathers, anything that caught his eye. While other animals worked hard to gather food or build homes, Tortoise was always running after the next “special” thing. One night, as he lay on his back staring at the sky, his eyes fell on the big, bright moon. “Ohhhh!” Tortoise gasped. “That is the shiniest thing I’ve ever seen. I must have it! If I own the moon, everyone will respect me. They’ll come to my house just to admire it.” The next morning, Tortoise marched into the village square and declared, “Friends, I have decided to buy the moon. It will be mine, and I will hang it above my hut for everyone to see.” The animals burst out laughing. Monkey nearly fell from his tree. “Buy the moon? Tortoise, are you serious? T...

  Once upon a time, in the heart of a lively jungle, there lived a playful monkey named Milo . Milo loved bananas more than anything else in the world. Whenever he saw a banana, he would grab it without thinking, gobbling it down before anyone else could have a taste. One day, Milo’s grandmother called him over. She pointed to a tall banana tree in the middle of the jungle. “Milo,” she said kindly, “this tree only grows golden bananas once a month. Whoever waits until they are fully ripe will taste the sweetest banana in the jungle. But if you eat them too soon, they will be sour and hard.” Milo’s eyes sparkled. A golden banana? That sounded amazing! He promised his grandmother he would wait. The next morning, Milo ran to the tree. High up, he saw a bunch of shiny bananas. His tummy rumbled. “Just one won’t hurt,” he whispered. He climbed quickly, grabbed a banana, and took a bite. Yuck! It was sour and hard, just like Grandma had warned. But Milo shrugged and ate it anyway. Ev...

Once upon a time, in the wide blue sky, floated a little cloud named Nubi. Every morning, Nubi watched the golden sun rise proudly, filling the world with light and warmth. Children laughed as they played under the sunshine, flowers lifted their heads, and birds spread their wings joyfully. Nubi admired the sun so much. “If only I could shine like him,” Nubi whispered. “Then everyone would love me too.” One day, Nubi tried very hard to glow like the sun. He stretched and puffed himself up, but no matter how much he tried, he only turned gray and heavy. The more he struggled, the darker he grew. Soon, raindrops began to fall. “Oh no!” cried Nubi. “Now I’ve ruined the day!” But then something magical happened. As the rain poured, the sun peeked out from behind another cloud. Together, their light and water formed a beautiful rainbow across the sky. The children pointed and cheered. Flowers sparkled with drops of water, and the thirsty fields drank happily. For the first time, Nubi ...