One characteristic is the use of animals as characters. Just like in many African folktales, animals often represent different human traits. For example, the sly fox or the wise owl. Another characteristic is the moral lessons they carry. These stories are not just for laughs but also to teach something important. For instance, the story of the tortoise and the hare teaches about not being overconfident. Also, they are often set in the beautiful and diverse African landscapes, be it the vast savannahs or the thick jungles, which add to the charm of the stories.
The use of unique animals and characters makes them unique. For instance, animals like the elephant, which is often portrayed as wise but a bit slow - thinking in some stories. When it gets into a situation with a quick - witted mongoose, the contrast in their behaviors and reactions can create really funny scenarios.
One African funny short story is about a tortoise and a hare. In an African forest, the hare always boasted of his speed. One day, he challenged the tortoise to a race. The tortoise, being very wise, accepted. As the race began, the hare sprinted ahead and then decided to take a nap. Meanwhile, the slow - but - steady tortoise just kept plodding along. By the time the hare woke up, the tortoise was nearing the finish line. The hare rushed but it was too late. And the tortoise won the race, teaching the hare a lesson about overconfidence.
One funny African short story is about Anansi the Spider. Anansi is always getting into tricky situations with his cleverness and greed. For example, he once tried to hoard all the wisdom in the world in a pot, but things didn't go as planned and his actions led to humorous consequences that teach lessons about sharing and humility.
Cultural misunderstandings also make for funny themes. South Africa has diverse cultures, and when characters from different cultures meet and misinterpret each other's actions or words, it leads to humorous situations. For example, a tourist from overseas misunderstands a local South African custom and ends up in a comical predicament.
One funny South African short story is 'The Magic Gourd'. It's about a man who finds a magical gourd that grants him wishes but always in the most unexpected and comical ways. For example, when he wishes for a big meal, he gets a table full of food that starts to move and talk to him.
Funny African stories usually have vivid descriptions of the African landscape and the behavior of the characters within it. The stories are rich in cultural elements. They might feature traditional African music or dance as part of the plot. Also, the humor in these stories can be very physical. For instance, characters slipping on a banana peel - like situation which is a common form of slapstick humor. Moreover, they tend to be very community - oriented, with the whole village or group of animals involved in the story's events.
An African Grey Parrot called Lucy lived with a family. One time, the family was having a karaoke night. When someone started singing a really high - pitched song, Lucy joined in with the most out - of - tune screeches. It was both awful and extremely funny. The family couldn't stop laughing and from then on, they always included Lucy in their karaoke sessions just for the comical effect.
A popular African funny story is about a lazy hyena. The hyena was always looking for easy ways to get food. One day, it saw a vulture circling overhead and thought there must be a dead animal nearby. So it followed the vulture. But the vulture was just flying around for fun. The hyena got so tired of following it with no result and finally just lay down in exhaustion, looking very silly.
One African funny story is about the hare and the tortoise. In the African version, the hare was so overconfident. He took a long nap during the race. But the tortoise, instead of just slowly plodding along, stopped at every interesting thing it saw. It smelled the beautiful flowers, watched the little bugs. When the hare woke up, he was in such a rush to catch up that he tripped over a root and the tortoise still won in the end.