Lion and the Ostrich Chicks

Lion and the Ostrich Chicks

Retold and Illustrated by Ashley Bryan

 

Bibliography

Ashley Bryan, Lion and the Ostrich Chicks And Other African Folk Tales, (New York, NY: Antheneum, 1986).

Plot Summary and Critical Analysis 

In the charming, rhythmic, poetic retelling of this African folk tale, Ashley Bryan creates a fun, vibrant and engaging book that instantly caught my attention and kept it.  Starting with the ubiquitous folklore meme of parents wanting to have a baby.  Using animals, Bryan tells a tale based in reality and with which children can instantly identify.   Using a mixture of black on white line drawings and tempera paint illustrations, the author creates a world like our own and unlike it at the same time.  The drawings are representative, but not realistic, creating a world of heightened reality into which the chicks are born. 

The line drawings on the first page show the lion and the chicks, but the painting on the second page shows the entire ostrich family in bold orange, red, black and white, the former foreshadowing a potential dangerous future and the latter showing the warm realities of home life.  Children will be able to instantly identify with the warmness of the painting and the happiness of the family portrayed.  Using traditional African colors, Bryan not only connects the children with the characters, but the character with their setting and the history of the tale.

Bryan uses poetry as a way to express feelings and when the chicks are first born, the parents celebrate by singing:

“Ostrich stretch, strut, stride and race.

Six little chicks just joined the chase.

Clap for Ostrich, one, two!

Stamp for lion, shoo, shoo!”

Papa Ostrich announces the good news with his loud roar, which scares the chicks and sounds like a lion and the children are scared until Mama Ostrich brings them closer so they can see he is not a lion, but their father.  Papa teaches the chicks that even though their wings are no good for flying high, they can still fly with their feet and he teaches them how to run, which is his way of teaching them to protect themselves.  Bryan repeats the refrain from the earlier song as he writes “Every day the chicks practiced their steps: stretch, strut, and stride.”

Soon the chicks are as fast as their parents, and their mother gives them the advice that is at the heart of the chicks’ story.  “You’re fast and that’s fine,” said Mama Ostrich.  “But don’t run off too far from home, not until you’re fully grown and know your way around.”  The failure of the chicks to heed this advice leads to the central conflict of the story.  Every child wants to test boundaries and limits, and will identify with the desire of the chicks to be carefree and run where they want just for fun without worrying about the consequences, but they will also recognize the Mother’s care in Mama Ostrich’s advice.

While the chicks run and play they soon find that they are lost and they call for their parents.  They hear the roar of their father, and follow it only to discover that the roar came from Lion who claims the chicks as his own.  The Lion is portrayed as ridiculous in the way the walks on his hind legs and pretends the chicks are his cubs.  However the other animals fear him and when Mama Ostrich tries to retrieve her chicks, the lion insists that they are his cubs. 

“Anyone can see they’re mine,” said Mother Ostrich

“Anyone is no one,” said Lion. “And you’ll need someone to stand up to me.”

I found this line to be especially meaningful to the story, because Lion is right.  Anyone is no one, without the ability to overcome the obstacles in front of them, either through physical strength or mental cunning. 

Mama and Papa Ostrich take their case to the Fox, who is chief counselor and who promises to help them, but when Lion brings the chicks into town, the fox and all of the other animals agree with the lion, out of fear, that the chicks are, indeed, his cubs.  Mama goes to Mongoose who has helped her in the past, and who is known to be clever. 

Mongoose’s plan for fooling the Lion is very clever.  He tells Mother Ostrich to build a hole underneath the anthill and out of the other side.  When all of the animals come together, each animal in turn gives in to fear and proclaims the chicks to belong to Lion.  When the Lion comes to the Mongoose, he speaks out for all to hear that

“Lion lies” Mongoose exclaimed. 

“We all have eyes. Lion may stand on two feet now, but he looks absurd.  He is no bird!”

Mongoose, by having the courage to stand up to Lion, stuns the lion for just enough time for Mongoose to jump into the hole and out of the other side, while Mama and Papa Ostrich flee with their chicks. 

Lion’s frustration at being bested is so great that when he can’t get into the hole where he believes Mongoose is hiding, that he declares he will just stay there until Mongoose has to come out.  His stubbornness and his anger over being tricked lead him to lie there waiting for revenge until he wastes away.  Lion’s belief in his own superiority, his stubborness, and his inability to accept that he could be bested leads to his downfall.  This is something with which children will identify.

Bryan closes his tale using poetry once again.

“Fur begets feathers, fur begets feathers

No one’s ever seen fur beget feathers.

Clap for the Ostrich, Mongoose, too.

Stamp for the Lion. Shoo! Shoo!"

Ending with poetry echoing the poetry from the beginning, serves to bring the story full circle with the chicks back home with their family, the lion gone, and the mongoose their friend.  Children will remember the rhyme which will lead them to remember the lessons of the story. 

Unlike the other books that I have reviewed so far, the text, not the illustrations are the focus of this story.  Bryan’s use of poetry, repetition, alliteration, and exclamations such as “uh-uh” and “uh-huh” serve to give the story a rhythm and beat that makes it fun to read aloud, and drives the story in a song-like way towards its climax and ending.

Review Excerpts

Amazon.com Editorial Review:  “Bryan presents lively, tellable (sic) stories about animal and human characters. He includes extensive dialogue and numerous songs from four previously published collections of the folklore of the Masai, Bushmen, and Hausa, and from Angola. The stories give no evidence of their African origin, which is a result of three of the sources that Bryan used being decontextualized, which was typical of African folklore collections at the turn of the century. The morals of these stories are universal in application. Bryan's lively illustrations focus on animals engaged in the action taking place in the stories, but without any context, thus reinforcing the generic content of the stories. The illustrations of people and houses from the stories about the Bushmen (who live in southern Africa) and Hausa (who live in northern Nigeria) are similar and misrepresent both the physical features of the people and their cultures. Although the stories can be enjoyed as narratives when read or told aloud, the collection reinforces the concept that Africa is a country, rather than a diverse continent with distinctively different cultures. The illustrations for most of Verna Aardema's recent retellings of African folklore more authentically represent distinctive features of the African cultures in which the narratives are told.”

Kirkus Reviews:  “Bryan presents us with another fine set of stories from African tradition, sure to be welcome in folk tale collections. Each of the four tales celebrates the ability of common sense to overcome brute force, and each represents a different African people: Masai (""Lion and the Ostrich Chicks""); Bushman (""The Son of the Wind""); Angola (""Jackal's Favorite Game""); and Hausa (""The Foolish Boy""). Three are animal trickster tales, while in the fourth a boy learns to be cautious when playing with superhuman forces. Heavy black-and-white drawings, with a few mustard and brick full-page illustrations, echo the lively style of West African printed textiles. The language of the original cultures can be felt in Bryan's retellings, as can his fondness for strong rhythms, which comes through even when the tales are read silently. Strong tales from black tradition presented in a way that will appeal to general American audiences.”

Connections

Use the story to talk about the importance of listening to parents and what can happen when children disobey.

Introduce the concept of anthropomorphism or personification in stories.

Discuss why all of the other animals, even with their larger numbers, are afraid of Lion and how children can overcome their fears.

Discuss the use of poetry and repetition in the story.

Have children draw their own illustrations for the story.

Talk about how Mongoose’s cleverness and intelligence overcame Lion’s strength and explore other areas in the lives of children where this may be true.

Discuss bullying, and how this story relates to the strong taking advantage of the week.