This is a South African, Zulu Story

A woman's children aske her for stories every night, but she has none to tell. So, she asks the neighbors and they don't have any stories either. Finally, her husband sends her out into the world,promising to take care of the children, so she can go and collect stories.

The first thing she meets is a hare, “Known for their trickster ways.” He tells her he has plenty of tales, but no time to tell them to her, then runs away.

The woman goes to find a place to lie down and she encounters a baboon. The baboon is a mom too, and when the woman asks her if she has any stories to share, the baboon replies “Do you think I have time for stories?”

The next animal she meets is a wood owl. It just cries “Who are you? Who are you?”

Then she meets and elephant. It tells her to ask the fish eagle, Nkwazi. She spots it and cries out, causing the fish eagle to drop its fish. She tells it that it is very wise, which pleases it. It goes out to get a large sea turtle for her.

The sea turtle takes her on a journey under the sea where she meets the King and Queen of the Seas. THey request a picture of her family from “dry land,” so she goes back and gets the gift. Her husband carves a sculpture for her.She takes it back to the King and Queen and they are very happy. They give her a necklace and a shell and tell her whenever she needs a story to just hold the shell to her ear.

She returns to her village and everyone is excited to see her. Her children beg for a story, so shelifts the shell to her ear and begins by saying “Kwasukesukela,” or “Once upon a time…”