thumbnail of The cow-tail switch: a folktale of Africa
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Title
The cow-tail switch: a folktale of Africa
Contributing Organization
Film and Media Archive, Washington University in St. Louis (St. Louis, Missouri)
AAPB ID
cpb-aacip/151-6t0gt5fw08
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Description
Description
"This animated folktale from the Liberian rainforest, recounting the death and return to life of Ogaloussa the hunter, explores the universal themes of loyalty and the power of the spirit to conquer death. Ogaloussa disappears and is forgotten by his family until a new son, Puli, in his first words asks for his father. A search yields Ogaloussa's bones, and his sons magically restore him to life. When Ogaloussa wants to give a beautiful cow-tail switch to the son who did most to resuscitate him, he rewards Puli. For, the saying goes, 'A man is not dead until he is forgotten.' The entire story is told by an African mother to her children." -- Summary from original film can. "A folktale by Harold Courlander and George Herzog from the Liberian rain forest which recounts the death and return to life of Ogalussa, the hunter." -- WorldCat
Asset type
Raw Footage
Topics
Education
Media type
Moving Image
Credits
AAPB Contributor Holdings
Film & Media Archive, Washington University in St. Louis
Identifier: 14444-1-1 (MAVIS Carrier Number)
Duration: 0:7:14
Film & Media Archive, Washington University in St. Louis
Identifier: 14444-1 (MAVIS Component Number)
Format: 16mm film
Generation: Print
Color: Color
Duration: 0:7:14
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Citations
Chicago: “The cow-tail switch: a folktale of Africa,” Film and Media Archive, Washington University in St. Louis, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC, accessed April 1, 2026, http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-151-6t0gt5fw08.
MLA: “The cow-tail switch: a folktale of Africa.” Film and Media Archive, Washington University in St. Louis, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Web. April 1, 2026. <http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-151-6t0gt5fw08>.
APA: The cow-tail switch: a folktale of Africa. Boston, MA: Film and Media Archive, Washington University in St. Louis, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Retrieved from http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-151-6t0gt5fw08