ABSTRACT
An important attribute of Hausa oral literature, as of Afro-Islamic and other African oral literatures in general, is improvization. The tale exists only when it is narrated/performed, and with every new narration it assumes a new life in response to the artist’s interpretation of the new context of the telling-time, setting, mood and so on. This essay looks at how Islam has impacted on a recent narration of The Story of the Orphan Who Marries the Prince of Masar’—a tale of the ‘Wicked Stepmother’ popularly known as ‘Cinderella’ in the West. This takes place at a time of increasing Islamic resurgence and a growing participation of women in redefi ning Islam in the Hausa culture of West Africa.
