African Food and Art

This blog explores the wisdom of African proverbs, the depth of folklore, the beauty of art, the stories of history, and the flavors of timeless African food recipes.

How Rooster Tricked Leopard Into Cutting Off His Own Head

African folklore story how rooster tricked leopard into cutting off his own head refers to aspects of African culture in which wisdom of recognizing lies from truth is highly valued in the expressive African oral tradition of folklore.

African folklore story how rooster tricked leopard into cutting off his own head refers to aspects of African culture in which wisdom of recognizing lies from truth is highly valued in the expressive African oral tradition of folklore.
Away leopard went to his town and told his wife that he had been taught some wonderful magic by his friend the rooster.

Folklore story How Rooster Tricked Leopard Into Cutting Off His Own Head.

As the ancestors say, a rooster and a leopard began a friendship, and not very long afterwards, the leopard lent money to the rooster. It was arranged that on a certain day the leopard should collect his money at the rooster's home.

On the morning leopard was to come by his house, rooster ground-up red peppers mix with water so that it looked like blood.  When rooster heard that, the leopard was on the way to his house he went into his courtyard and said to his wife, "When leopard arrives and asks for me, tell him my head has been cut off and carried to the women in the farms to be combed and cleaned."

Then rooster hid his head under his wing and told his children to pour some of the red pepper water on his neck, which they did, and it fell to the ground like blood.

Leopard arrived and asked for his friend the rooster, but his wife repeated what they had been told, and, upon leopard hearing it, he thought it was all true.

Returning later in the day to roosters home, leopard asked rooster how it was done. Rooster replied, "When you reach your town, you cut off your head, and send it to the farm to be combed and cleaned, and that’s all to it."

"Oh! Thank you, friend," said the leopard, “I will amaze the people of my village."

Away leopard went to his town and told his wife that he had been taught some wonderful magic by his friend the rooster.

"What is it? “she asked.

"Well, my head is cut off," said the leopard, "and then you take it to the farm to comb and clean, and then you bring it back."

"All right, sure, sure" his wife laughed.

The Leopard sent messengers to all the villages near him, inviting them to come and see the wonder. On the day of the great event, a large crowd of people arrived, and when all was ready, the leopard went into the center of the crowd, his head was cut off, but his legs gave way, and he fell down.

His head was returned after being combed and cleaned, but when they put it on the neck, it would not stay there. 

So died the Leopard because he did not use his common sense to recognize the foolishness of what the rooster told him. Do not believe all you see and hear.


More short folklore stories from Africa to make you fall in love with myths and legends again from the motherland.

  1. Why the bunny rabbit has wiggly slits for a nose
  2. Love Takes No Less Than Everything Marriage Folklore
  3. Hunters Attack Cowards Tell the Story
  4. One Do Wrong All Get Punished
  5. Mighty Little Hedgehog

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