A Stork in a Baobab Tree
An African 12 Days of Christmas

Set in Africa during the Christmas season, this is the story of a village preparing for a celebration - the birth of a child. The story is told in verse inspired by the traditional carol The Twelve Days of Christmas, but in this version by the author Catherine House the gifts are: 1 stork in a baobab tree, 2 thatched huts, 3 woven baskets, 4 market traders, 5 bright khangas, 6 women pounding, 7 children playing, 8 wooden carvings, 9 grazing goats, 10 drummers drumming, 11 dancers dancing and 12 storytellers. This is a Christmas steeped in the atmosphere of African village life, including descriptions of the objects and activities mentioned in the text.

On the eleventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me eleven dancers dancing.



Dance is an important way of celebrating in Africa. There are dances for every occasion, such as religious ceremonies, becoming an adult and weddings. Sometimes a dance will tell a story or teach a lesson. But often people dance just to have fun!