Chinye: A West African Folk Tale

by Obi Onyefulu

Chinye's callous stepmother sends her out into the dark forest to fetch water. Terror lurks behind every tree and ghostly figures cross her path, but there are even stranger surprises at her journey's end: gold and prosperity for the person who chooses well, and whirlwind destruction for the greedy.

Genres: Africa, Picture Books, Childrens, Fairy Tales, Folklore, Cultural, Folk Tales

28 pages, Paperback

First published April 7, 1994

Reviews

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer]

The theme in this West African folk tale is that goodness, respect, and obedience are rewarded. Chinye is an African girl who lives with her stepmother Nkechi and stepsister Adanma. Nkechi and Adanma treat Chinye badly, making her do all the work. Sounds like Cinderella! One night they send Chinye out into the dangerous jungle to fetch water.
However, the creatures she meets are kind to her, and her willingness to listen to an old woman she meets brings reward in the form of a magic gourd filled with treasures. Of course, jealous Nkechi must then send her own daughter out to bring home more riches, but, being greedy, Adanma doesn't listen to the old woman and brings home only trouble to her mother. Does this story sound familiar? It's undoubtedly the African original of Robert D. San Souci's The Talking Eggs, which is set in the American South. Read both for a compare/contrast. I love this West African version. Recommended!

[Elizabeth]

I was hoping this would have more of Chinye being actively kind to the "forest creatures" instead of them just taking pity on her -- though the story does retain the element of the wicked stepsister not heeding instructions and thus reaping calamity instead of reward.

A bunch of reviews liken this story to the Creole picture book The Talking Eggs , which I don't think I've read, but certainly there are a variety of folktales in this vein -- I was thinking of "Diamonds and Toads" (God bless the Internet where I could Google "folktale mouth jewels lizards" and have the thing I was thinking of be the first hit) or Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters (which is more in the Cinderella vein than this one -- on account of it having a marriage plot).

[Kyle Ohl]

The book Chinye: a West African Folk Tale by Obi Onyefulu is a great folklore for students to read. The theme of the book is respectfulness and obedience. The setting is place in Africa and the main character Chinye is followed around doing stuff for her mother. She has to go into the woods and get some water for her mom when she hears a voice that tells her to go home but she respectfully tells the voice she needs water to get for her mom and she is allowed to do so. Sadly it was not nominated for an awards but I could see it mentions for the Corretta King Scott Award.

[Molly Cluff (Library!)]

I love a classic story where the kind, unselfish character comes out on top! Chinye is a good-hearted girl who lives with her stepsister and stepsister. They send her out to fetch water at night when it is dangerous, and Chinye encounters an old woman who gives her a magical test. These sorts of tales have such a comforting structure--I enjoyed this a lot.

[Jesa Burgoyne]

Believathon III: The Mystery of the Missing Maleficarum
Clue 12- The Flash of Lightning: Read a book that incorporates folktales

[Amy]

I love a great story where the kind, unselfish character is rewarded for their good hearts and the evil, mean characters get what they've earned! A great folk tale.

[Lottie Jackson]

A magical story that can be used in the KS1 to inform children about different cultures and provides a different adaption to the modern fairytales.

[Aishah Saeed]

This was a very predictable story and with limited detail

[Lisa]

A folk tale from Nigeria that extolls the virtues of being kind and obedient.

[Jane]

Looking for a Cinderella retelling where the fairy godmother is a prophetic old woman who masquerades as various wild animals, and where Cinderella gets to live happily ever after because of her strength of character, without attending a magical ball or meeting a prince charming? Well, West African fairytale Chinye is for you.

A young African girl named Chinye is overworked and mistreated by her haughty stepmother Nkechi and her lazy stepsister Adanma, who frequently send Chinye to the river to haul buckets of water. One night, Chinye is surprised to find several wild animals following her, all of which lead her to the hut of a river spirit, an old woman who advises Chinye to choose the smallest and quietest gourd from the many scattered through the hut. Chinye does as she is told and is rewarded with fabulous treasure, which Nkechi covets and sends Adanma to fetch. Adanma, however, greedily chooses the largest gourd and unleashes a storm that destroys everything she and Nkechi own. Too proud to ask for help, Nkechi and Adanma flee the village, but Chinye uses her good fortune to help her fellow villagers.

I came across Chinye while researching multicultural versions of the traditional Cinderella story for my tenth-grade students to read, and it bears only a few similar elements to the European story. Notably, Chinye does not feature its heroine marrying a wealthy man and living happily ever after as a prince, which I appreciate. Instead, Chinye receives magical assistance because she passes a test of humility and obedience, and she chooses to use her newfound wealth to benefit others as well as herself. The role of the fairy godmother is that of a river spirit masquerading as an old woman, and Chinye’s narrative is noticeably bereft of cute animal friends, lavish disguises, and lost footwear as well as a prince charming. Chinye also features the severe natural punishment of the cruel stepfamily, though this African version has them simply chase their destroyed home instead of having their eyes pecked out by birds, being cast to sea in a barrel, or being crushed in a rock slide. I guess West Africans at least didn’t want their kids to have nightmares.

While I appreciate the lesson being taught here (don’t take more than your fair share), Chinye feels more like a traditional African folktale than a true Cinderella retelling, so it doesn’t strike quite the same chord for me. Still, I can’t help having a fondness for any story that uses a “small, quiet gourd” as the catalyst for incredible treasure.

Link to Chinye on 365 Cinderellas

[Leo]

Chinye is a book written by Obi Onyefulu and illustrated by Evie Safarewicz. The book is about a young Nigerian girl named Chinye who is forced to live with her evil stepmother and stepsister after the death of her parents. Forced to labour tirelessly for her stepmother, she encounters an old woman in the forest while carrying out one of her many chores and her life is changed forever...
The story is a West African folk tale that promotes the importance of having a good heart and not being greedy. Evie Safarewicz’s illustrations introduce the reader to life in a typical West African village with bright, vivid imagery that add a real sense of atmosphere to the story. The book is an excellent way for KS2 students to compare similarly themed stories such as Cinderella, in order to understand cultural similarities and differences. On its own, it is also an excellent vehicle to stimulate conversation about right, wrong, the ways in which we treat those around us and morality in general.

[The Styling Librarian]

Chinye by Obi Onyefulu, illustrated by Evie Safarewicz - 1994 – Oh my, where has this book been? I’ve loved sharing another book, The Talking Eggs by Robert D. San Souci, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney for YEARS, one of my FAVORITE read alouds ever… I absolutely love exaggerating how the head is removed from the body… ok, won’t give away anything but I love that story that students and I compare with the traditional Cinderella story they’ve heard before. NOW I’ve met this book Chinye which is quite similar. While I love the Creole feel in The Talking Eggs, this story is quite beautifully set in West Africa with gourds instead of eggs. You don’t get to know the characters as well but there’s still a fantastic story woven throughout. I hope to share this with students next year. Thrilled I ordered it for the collection!

[LeAnne]

I know I have read a European version of this story where the good sister falls down a well and works hard for the woman she finds there and is rewarded with gold, while the evil sister tries to do the same, but is too lazy to work and ends up with tar, as I recall. In this Nigerian version it is magic gourds that bring riches or poverty according to the behavior of the two sisters. Vivid water-color illustrations show both people and animals with wide, appealing eyes. The text reads smoothly and would make a great read-aloud for older children. The concept may be a bit challenging for the pre-school set.

[Haydee Romero]

Chinye is a Nigerian folktale. Chinye is similar to the Cinderella story. It is about a little girl, who is mistreated by her stepmother and stepsister after her father passes away. When she is sent into a forest late at night a wise old woman gives her a gift. Chinye’s obedience pays off in the end. I would use Chinye to introduce folktales. Chinye can be used to explain how stories that are orally passed down can be written down. I would ask students to go home and ask their parents about a story that is passed down and they can share it with the class.

[Kimberlydaniels]

Genre: Traditional Lit/Multicultural

I liked this book. It was simple and I figure it would be easy for students to use to compare and contrast with the original. The story did not stray and was not too involved. I would then like to find a book that is more far removed with some of the same elements. I would like to find a story that is multi cultural, gives students more to talk about and thus more to learn.

[Yolanda kisenyi]

i know this book is short but it teaches you a lesson not be greedy and if you're nice you will live happy.

[Ellie Chamberlain]

I think this book is very handy because i am learning about this at home and in school so I am reading it to find out more

[Barbara Lovejoy]

This is another multicultural Cinderella "birthday book" that I bought with the money donated by an Esperanza board member. It is a fun story with great illustrations.

[Springtrap]

I like it alot so far its very creative.

[Mathew]

For me, this story was limited in prose - I wanted more from the Cinderella-like narrative. I couldn't attach myself to any of the characters