Black Horse

The Hippopotamus and the Tortoise

In short: Read how a secret name is discovered in The Hippopotamus and the Tortoise.

The Hippopotamus and the Tortoise · Tortoise meets hippopotamus FAIRY TALE ATLAS · № 24 The Hippopotamus and the Tortoise Read how a secret name is discovered in The Hippopotamus and the Tortoise. Origin Southern Nigeria Atlas record 1910 First appearance Exact date unknown SIGNATURE MOTIF Tortoise meets hippopotamus Reach¹ 1/10 Suggested age² 8+ Member rating No votes yet 1 records · 1 countries or regions blackhorsestories.com

¹ Based on the number of Atlas countries, capped at 10. ² Editorial suggestion for reading this page. Discover Black Horse’s question

Origin and tradition

Southern Nigeria

The Hippopotamus asks his dinner guests to name him. Tortoise watches the route his family takes to the water. When one of them stubs her foot on the shell, she calls for help and says Isantim. An overheard detail from an ordinary moment solves the riddle at the feast.

Dated records and sources

  1. 1910 · Southern Nigeria
    Elphinstone Dayrell · Folk Stories from Southern Nigeria, XXII

Country pages

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Origin
Black Horse. The Hippopotamus and the Tortoise. https://blackhorsestories.com/en/atlas-tale-hippo-tortoise/