Strange Animal

Strange Animal
Alexander McCall Smith(1948-)

Born and brought up in Zimbabwe, Alexander McCall
Smith collected the stories in Children of Wax by visiting
and recording people, especially elderly peaople. He has
translated and adapted the stories from the original
Ndebele language.
Summary(1)
There was a boy and he had an aunt who shouted at him

too much. The boy did not like his aunt.The aunt sent the
boy to fruit picking. Near this place there were caves and
the boy did not like going there. They told the boy that
there was a strange animal in fruit picking place and the
boy said this to his aunt but the aunt did not believe in
the boy and sent him to that place.When he went to fruit
picking he saw a strange animal. He started playing the
drum and the strange animal could not do anything. The
boy played the drum all the day to keep the animal away
from himself.
Summary (2)
When they returned back the aunt wanted the fruits that he
had collected. Since there was no fruit, the boy mentioned
about the strange animal but his aunt did not believe in
him.The father believed the boy and the next day they went
together for fruit picking. Then the strange animal came and
swallowed the boy’s mother, father and aunt. Then the boy
started to play his drum which made the strange animal
dance. The animal had to spit out the father and mother.
From then on he started playing a bit slower because he
wasn’t sure to rescue the aunt or not. His father told him to
play the drum faster. Then the animal spit out the aunt,
too.The aunt was very quiet after this experience. She
stopped shouting at the boy and rather than shouting at him
the aunt started enjoying his own life.
• A folk tale from Africa which has the traditional element
of magic, but also makes observations about the
complexity of family relationships.
Part One from the story
It’s a translation, oral story, story tellers in Africa, third
person narrator, point of view of the child, we have a
difference between narrator and point of view.
Everyday this aunt would shout at him, and make a great
noise that would frighten the birds. (This is a universal
experience children are always told what to do.)
Sometimes he thought that he might go to some

man….to buy some medicine (This extract from the story
indicates that in Africa they go to medicine man)
When I’m a big man I’ll come and shout in her ear, the
boy said. (point of view seen through the boy’s eyes)
Out of the bush came the strange animal… he took out
the drum. In this extract we observe such things in folk
tales, magic elements, magic drum. This drum isn’t an
ordinary one but an element of magic.
All the day the boy played the drum. (This extract from
the story indicates that the boy comes with no fruit.)
The father listened and told the story to the aunt, who
scoffed at the boy. (scoff:to say something when you
don’t believe someone making fun and getting angry
when you don’t believe someone.
The aunt began to pick fruit from the tree and stuff it into
her mouth. (This extract is the universal part of the story.
The aunt eats the fruit.)
The study about characters

Make notes about the boy, the aunt and the father.
Father: A peace maker tries to find compromise, balanced
person, fair, affectionate, caring , responsible, he doesn’t
want conflict, he understands human nature , he is
patient.Father has a natural authority but not strict, not
aunthoriterian.
Mother: We have the idea that the child is the only child.
We observe gender division. Mother hasn’t got
personality. We know a lot about the father but we don’t
have any information about the mother.
Their family structure is extended (aunt is inside the
family structure)
Nuclear family (Mother, father and child)
In the story star there was a nuclear family.
The situation here is primitive. The child doesn’t go to
school. They aren’t equal but they need to be respectful,
they have close relationships with each other.
Aunt: Stubborn, intolerant, talkative, self-righteous
(someone who thinks she is always right.)
Strident: not calm and relaxed, tense, she thinks that she
is always right.
There is a moral. In Red Ridinghood , there is violence,
terrifying. In this story the aunt is saved, frightening but
finishes gently. Aunt changes by her experience.
Theme: Tolerance of others-The magic of music/Family
relations
Family structure is very strong. Father believes in keeping
peace in the family, aunt learns to be tolerant, mutual
tolerance is established, supports family structure.
Folktales often tell us something about the values of the
society they come from. What values do you get from
this story.
Social harmony in the family is of paramount importance.
Pride comes before a fall.
Being eccentric and disruptive is not valued in the
community.
Members of society must work together to ensure
survival.
It is important to respect elders.
Tolerance is essential in the family and in the community.
People must live in harmony with their environment.

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Strange Animal

Alexander McCall Smith(1948-)

There was a boy and he had an aunt who shouted at him

Sometimes he thought that he might go to some

The study about characters

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