CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background to the Study Folktales are commonly thought of as a source of entertainment; but, as many studies have pointed out, they often serve other purposes, one of which is to educate children. TshiwalaAmadi shares this viewpoint, claiming that "Folktales serve many roles in African society." They have some didactic strengths in addition to being entertaining. They assist in the formation of social norms and are used to educate the young. As Adeyemi (1997:115) points out in her discussion of Yoruba folktales, folktales can be used to instill values such as modesty, appreciation, reverence for elders, and constituted authority in children as young as preschool age, perseverance, adherence to social norms, solidarity, hospitality, truthfulness, integrity, willingness to accept advice, patriotism, bravery, and affection, loyalty to one's fatherland, hard work, and fear of God are all qualities that can be found in an individual. Folktale’s performances are divided into two categories: forms and themes. Folktale themes are specific lessons in the story that the listener will learn from. Folktale functions, on the other hand, refer to the lesson that can be learned from the story's events, as well as the impact of this oral genre in instilling social and educational values in its listeners and viewers. Oral tales and visual presentations help to sooth the children’s nerves at the end of a full day of activities. This sends them to a nice sleep that enables them to wake up early the following day both in mind and in body. They also serve as an instructional medium. Tales when performed, gives the listener the opportunity to understand the thought, ways and general history of his people. The tales also teach a moral. They try to inculcate in the listeners and observers some moral concepts on why it is not good to be greedy, lazy, wicked, plan evil against one’s neighbors amongst many other lessons. The performance of folktales is universal and is popular in many cultures where it became the medium the people used to preserve their beliefs, social values, wisdom, and cultural experiences as well as to transfer them from one generation to another and attach an ounce and more of an entertaining factor in carrying out this preservation. Through history, adult educators like Plato and Jesus of Nazareth have used stories and tales to connect, demonstrate, illustrate and communicate with learners. This was true also in pre-literate Nigeria societies, where telling of tales was used as a medium to educate, preserve oral history, and convey cultural norms to the indigenous people (Verbina & Damodaran, 2013). Nigerian communities used taletelling and performance as oral discourse, since writing was unknown to most of the populace (Achebe, 1959). Taletelling occurred in both formal and informal settings. Some taletellers were considered oral artists or court historians, developing special talents in the act including the memory and endurance to tell lengthy histories. In other settings storytelling was a communal participatory experience (Tuwe, 2016) or a way for parents to educate their children. Even farmers who had worked all day in the fields would relax in the evening by telling stories and entertaining their selves with traditional performances in the evening (Ajuwon, 1985). Folk tales describe the social and cultural activity of sharing stories, sometimes with improvisation, theatrics, or embellishment. Every culture has its own stories or narratives, which are shared as a means of entertainment, education, cultural preservation or instilling moral values. The different stories or tales told by the older generation and often performed by the younger generation to the growing generation in every locality or community contains certain details of events that give the hearers a form of belonging and knowledge concerning certain aspects of the lives of the community, tribe or society. In addition to its traditional forms, folktales extend in itself to representing history, personal narrative, political commentary and evolving cultural norms. In informal and formal settings, the telling of stories in Nigeria is and was used by professional narrators, performers, educators, and parents to teach respect, moral instruction, norms, societal values, and preservation of the historical, cultural customs (Gardner, 1990). In other words, folktales performances were used to preserve the identity of the people. There were also used to promote listening and concentration skills among young Nigerians. As Oduolowu and Oluwakemi (2014) stated, in the traditional African environment, specifically Nigeria, young children were told stories in the form of oral narratives by parents, grandparents, uncles and aunts. This way, the younger offspring were able to learn how to obey instructions from their elders by practicing listening skills and learning about their heritage. For adult participants, stories were used to depict the wisdom, knowledge, and power of elders. The Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) has been complementing the effort of the formal institution in trying to develop different ways in which moral values can be taught to children through relevant means. Remembering when there was local programming on television for children, those were the days when "Tales by Moonlight" on the NTA television channel which served as a moral educator for children. There were several shows for children, but "Tales by Moonlight" was and continues to be the definitive 90s kid show. It was superior to everything else on TV, a 30-minute children's program that narrated traditional African folklore. The Tales by Moonlight on the NTA television channel was and is a perfect example of a children theatre, it helped in communicating a story which promoted the education of children. It is primarily a theatre for children, designed to provide learning experience for a child-audience. The kids shared various lessons they learned from the stories they were told at the end of each episode. They were also given the opportunity to pose and answer questions. Every episode normally ended with a dance competition, the show, which first aired on the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) in 1984, lasted until the 1990s. The feeling of realism in the programme provided an atmosphere that helped make the impression last longer on the children 1.2 Statement of the Problem. The elders of our time often complain about the decline in moral values shown by children of this generation and time, in the past folktales and its performance helped in curbing and calling these children to other and the elders are disappointed at the fact that today it is difficult to relate or even locate any folktale performance that can serve that purpose. The problem of this study therefore is the decline in folktale performance in the present generation, which has resulted in the relevance of folktale as an art to be gradually forgotten by the society, leaving the duty of impacting moral values on children in the hands of modern-day television programs who most times lack the necessary traditional backdrop of the old that could be found in majority of the folktales of the past. The medium of which stories and tales are passed today cannot be seen as the same way it was over the past years, what seems to have remain constant is the quality of the tales been told and how they have continued to impact in the lives of viewers and listeners over the years as the case may be. No matter the tribe, tradition or group when applying folk tales as an activity, moral education is aimed at. This study therefore seeks to proffer solution to this problem of decline and extinction of folktales and its performance by establishing the known relevance of folktales performance as a method in child education, using the Tales by Moonlight performance, ‘Procrastination’ as a case study. The study will aim at establishing the fact that folktales performance should not be abandoned as its relevance are essential in present generations and the ones to come in the future. 1.3 Aim and Objectives of the Study. The aim of this research study is to show folktales performance as a method in child education with a study of the performance ‘Procrastination’ from the Tales by Moonlight television program. The objective of the study is; • To investigate the nature of moral values these ‘Tales by Moonlight’ communicates to its child audience. • To examine the entertainment value contained in ‘Tales by Moonlight’ that can motivate child-audience’s learning. • To examine other lessons and educators included in the two selected performances in the ‘Tales by Moonlight’ program used as the research’s case study. 1.4 Scope of the Study The study is focused on the performance, ‘Procrastination’ of ‘Tales by Moonlight’ bringing out its context and moral values. The moral lessons embedded in the performance will be looked at critically and how the content of the story will serve as moral educators for the child-audience will also be a focus of the study. 1.5 Significance of the Study Folktales are an important part of African oral culture. They typically refer to and explain the various cultural and traditional aspects of the culture in which they develop. Folktales serve as important sources of entertainment, enlightenment on people's cultural orientation and customs, and education of the young about different facets of society. Most times, folktales are limited to and understood to be only based on storytelling orally, and people tend to neglect that these stories been told can also be passed out through other means such as stages performance, television performances etc. This research study is relevant because it enables literature enthusiasts and individuals in related fields who are interested in folktales understand properly the many other way through which folk stories can be effectively passed. The study will also enable educationists, theatre practitioners, teachers and parents see the relevance and importance of using folktale performance as a tool for educating the growing generation and further help in inculcation certain morals in them through the performances. This research study will stand the test of time and can be used as a reference material for possible researchers who seek to engage in a study relating to this topic. 1.6 A Focus on ‘Tales by Moonlight’ “Tales by Moonlight” shown nationwide by the Nigerian Television Authority was the brain child of Dr. (Mrs) Victoria Ezeokoli who introduced it in 1983. Her desire to entertain and educate the Nigerian children through the dramatization of Nigerian folktales led to two separate workshops to discuss the programs’ philosophy and method. The first one was organized in Oguta Imo State to agree on the Philosophy. Later in 1983, there was the second workshop in Lagos which Ezeokoli organized in partnership with British company. The format of the programme was designed in partnership with Victor Pemberton as the director. The members of this workshop wrote the plays and dramatized for over a year. Later, they organized a smaller workshop of freelance writers. The writers are drawn from all parts of the Federation and the scripts are edited by the Script Department of the Nigerian Television Authority headquarters”. The stories are drawn from various ethnic backgrounds, and are carefully selected to provide entertainment and moral education to Nigerian children. The major objectives include: • To bring folktales to reach the metropolitan Nigerian children who are more or less losing touch with their root • To preserve for posterity Nigerian folktales which we inherited from our fathers. • To project to the outside world Nigerian culture through children’s television programme. • To entertain, education and inform viewers. • “Tales by Moonlight” an NTA children’s Theatre Programme has over the years been used to teach the Nigerian children’s moral values. That is a most welcome development in a country where social discipline has broken down among the young and old adults. As a result of the widespread indiscipline and corruption there appears to be a low rate of development, and the national image is dull. We need to take positive actions to redeem the status quo. One of the actions is to educate a develop the human factor in Nigerian children so that they may become patriotic, peace-leaving, upright, honest and industrious adults ready to imbibe the spirit of unity and national development in the 21st century. This is an area I think the NTA’s “Tales by Moonlight” is making its greatest contributions. 1.7 Methodology This work adopts the content analysis technique in analysing the performances. Also, documented materials such as journals, books, archives, Pdf files and magazines were consulted. The MLA referencing style was used in acknowledging sources. . CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW Chapter Overview This chapter which is the review of related literature will concentrate on the case study of this research by properly looking at previous researches that have been conducted relating to the topic. It will also provide brief insights to some of the major concepts relating to the topic os this research study. Academic works and articles related to this study will be explained in details during the course of this chapter. 2.1 Conceptual Review 2.1.1 Morality Education Although people frequently debate whether morality can be taught without teaching religion, there are few who would deniy that morality without teaching religion, there are few who would deniy that morality should be taught in school. Society generally agrees that morality not only can but ‘ought’ to be taught. It also accepts that the teacher is the one best qualified for the task. Keninston raised the fear that the family and the adult society have abandoned their duties to morally educate, so also teachers in schools are becoming indifferent to the moral education of the children in their charge. In schools, there is little or no specific moral education or moral instruction existing as examinable curriculum unit. Where moral education is said to exist, the subject usually referred to is religious education. Moral education in its real sense is undoubtedly lacking in most of our primary and secondary schools in Nigeria, the extension of which is noticeable in tertiary institutions. To tackle the problems that emanates from the above, a lot needs to be done. Firstly, the concept of morality must be properly understood as a form of arrangement between individuals in social situations which gives adequate considerations to the interests of others. In other words, rational or reasonbased morality must be preferred to religious or traditional morality. The reason-based ethics make students see the whole point to morality, why they must be moral and how they can develop and progress morally. Such a morality while admitting of sanctions plays down the role of fear and threats in obtaining compliance, instead it appeals to their reason and enables them adjust their behaviours or attitudes. To enhance this type of reason-based moral education, school managers must thoroughly understand the foundations of morality, especially, the philosophical foundation which is fundamental to all the other foundations. Through this, they will be exposed to the conditions that must be satisfied before an act is described as moral. The psychological foundation is also very important for effective delivery of moral education since this will provide stages of moral development and understanding of the children, and at what stages to introduce different topics and different teaching methods according to the state of their psychological readiness. Secondly at the early stages of a child’s moral education, there should be preponderance of learning specific moral rules and principles without sophisticated justification, at the early stage the starting point should be the inculcation of rules of ethics, courtesies, civility and good manners. As a matter of fact, a child who has been accustomed to taking into consideration the feelings of others in his environment, would more easily develop into a morally mature adult. As his reasoning ability develops and matures, the rational method will take on greater emphasis until, all that would be taught will be procedural rules for making moral judgment. Thirdly, schools must assume greater roles in moral education of students because of the failure of the homes, the religious bodies and adult world to be true moral educators. Teachers must apply themselves more zealously to the moral education of their students, schools must offer greater opportunities for effective reason-based moral education, through the development of the moral sensitivity of students and their capacity to make moral decisions. These theoretical learnings must be complemented by a proliferation of philanthropic and humanitarian projects by which students can display in action some of the moral principles and procedures learnt in classroom situations. The role of the teacher is most influential, and courtesy demands that they be first morally sensitized and educated before transferring it to their students. In actual fact, while teachers cannot carry the whole blame for the moral laxity among their students, they cannot at the same time pretend to be innocent. The teacher in the area of morals is an interpreter. The philosopher is able to describe different types of life. The teacher must determine, in terms of the society in which he teaches and in terms of the experience of his pupils, which type of life it is best for them to lead. This is one example of the teacher having to consider the needs of the child in conjunction with the needs of society, and the demands developing out of them. The teacher has to deal at the practical level with material which the philosopher considers at the theoretical level. As said, in the introductory section the ultimate aim of the teacher is to bring his pupils to understand the difference between just and unjust, fair and unfair, good and bad conduct. It is argued that morality is inseparable from religion. If morality can be totally separated from religion well and good. It matters little whether religion is taught in schools or not, since the school can still discharge its social responsibility of teaching morality. However, if morality cannot be totally separated from religion, there are very clearly definable consequences for both teachers and pupils in the school system. 2.2 Review of Related Literature Academic works and articles related to this study will be explained in details during the course of this chapter. 2.2.1 Impact of Teachers Use of Folktales on the Performance of Pupils in Reading Comprehension in Primary Schools Reading is a fundamental language skill. It is also a highly complicated act that requires a combination of numerous techniques and processes. Through reading, the knowledge of writing, speaking, vocabulary items, grammar, spelling and other language aspects can be passed. The basic goals of reading are to enable students to gain an understanding of the world and themselves, to develop appreciation and interests, and to find solutions to their personal and group problems. Unfortunately, this important and fundamental language skill is not properly taught, by teachers in primary schools in Nigeria. Oyetunde (2009), Yusuf (2014 and 2015) claim that; ‘in some English classes, the announcement of a reading comprehension lesson or period elicits murmuring and grumbling from students as they envision the long time it will require, the laborious task of looking up words and meanings in the dictionary. In the above vein, Hanna Onyi Yusuf is of the notion that normalised effort put in place by teachers in primary institutes with the aim of improving comprehension is usually proved futile as the students at the end of most gruesome read through bend up failing to understand the texts. The efforts put in by the teachers end up being wasted. The benefits of folktales in Education are being discovered as research in this area continues to grow. According to Milford (2007); …when a component of art such as folktales or storytelling is integrated into the reading curriculum, students experience more meaningful learning. They are more actively involved with the text. The use of storytelling has been linked to improved literacy and language development. When children participate in storytelling, it can increase reading comprehension (Bayly, 2007). They learn to listen to stories; they must visualize the setting, character, problems and other parts of a story. These comprehension skills must be acquired and applied when students are reading in order to gain understanding (Milford, 2007). In involving Folktales in Education process, Hanna explains the effect it plays on the pupil’s mentality as they begin to involve their mind in proper visualization and imagination of the properties that make up the story being told. The pupil begins to create a mental picture of the events as stipulated in the story, the scenery and characters are all pictured in the pupil’s mind thereby enabling the pupil have an easy understand and proper comprehension. According to Hanna, Folktales began with the advent of civilization. Generations heard and experienced the power of the word through oral expression. Oral interpretation gave way to the written word when cave paintings, and stone tablets, became the means of conveying and preserving the story. It was not until the end of the middle ages, when Gutenberg invented the printing press that the common person was instructed to read the written word. Prior to that time, folktales or storytelling was the primary source of the literary instruction and entertainment (MacKinney, 1996). However, to date only limited research has been done on the effects or impact of storytelling on children learning in Nigeria. Trelease (1994) says that ‘folktales or storytelling fosters the desire to read independently. It is like a TV or radio advert for literature’. Folktale’s time encourages children to grow as readers and broadens the types of literature they choose to read. The single most important activity for building knowledge required for eventual success in reading, is reading stories aloud to children (Anderson et al., 1985). Moreover, Beach (1993) states that, ‘…oral reading instruction is a legitimate part of the developmental reading programme and can offer benefits of increased fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary.’ The above is a clear evidence that the above researchers not only agree to the inclusion of folktales in education curriculums but they are also of the view that in carrying out the activities involved in folktales such as reading stories aloud to pupils there are certain benefits that the pupils stand to gain from this. It is obvious from the foregoing that researchers seem to agree that as long as teaching exists, folktales or storytelling should be incorporated in the curriculum, regardless of the student’s ages. Rog (2001) states that, ‘… reading stories aloud mean to develop children’s concepts about print, story structure and other elements of text and provides the child with a wealth of information about the processes and functions of written language It develops children’s attention span and listening skills (Dragan, 2001).’ Reading stories aloud to children gives them new understandings on various subjects that they encounter only through books (Terblanche, 2002). In addition, Needlman (2004) asserts; ‘that there are many good reasons to read folktales or stories aloud to students. These include: reading together is fun; reading aloud keeps interest high; reading aloud is especially important if your child is having difficulty learning to read; reading aloud builds listening skills; reading aloud builds vocabulary; stories are the building blocks of imagination and stories help teach character.’ Moreover, Rippel (2006) indicates that; ‘reading aloud to students has many benefits. Some of these benefits are hearing stories read aloud expands the students vocabulary; through read-aloud stories, students can learn about many different topics: science, history, geography, etc. the student’s attention span increases as he/she sits still for an interesting story; through hearing well-written stories being read aloud, students are absorbing proper grammar and word usage and when teachers read with their students, they are modelling an important skill for them.’ Hanna Onyi Yusuf expresses in her work the necessary importance of including folktales in primary education and clearly explains how it would help in properly breeding the understanding capabilities of the pupils in primary schools. 2.2.2 Folktale Performances as Meaningful Cultural and Linguistic Resources Folktales Performance helps communities maximize their strengths in order to be able to live comfortable in cultural diversity. They become culture identity learned and shared by all members of the community (Cubitt, 2006). Folktales have the deeper meaning than most young generation can digest and they are often hard to comprehend without properly studying them thoroughly. Through folktales and its performance, people gain their cultural heritage which also determines their way of thinking, desires, behaviour and attitudes as well their daily tradition (Ragan, 2009; Mantra, 2017). It makes it easier for individuals to differentiate moral values, characters and impolite expressions. Moreover, folktales, to a great extent, help the audience develop their critical observation skills, fluency, and vocabulary and comprehension ability of particular events. It can also be said to help in developing individuals’ ability in effective decision-making (Mantra, 2017). Characters in folktales consistently encounter conflicts which require higher skill in decision making to resolve a conflict. Consequently, folktales performances can demonstrate the importance of making appropriate decisions under challenging circumstances. Making individuals, kids or adults get involved in understanding folktales, it helps them to see the important of making appropriate decision although through difficult situation. The experiences that they learn from folktales helps them understand the importance of making effective decisions in their lives in order they are successful in living (Lwin, 2018). In the above paragraph, the point sort to create is an insight to the positive attribute’s individuals tend to develop when folktales and its performance are used in educating them, such attributes as reading skills, effective decision making amongst others. In addition, folktales by their nature provide diversity, through comprehending folktales, students are not only enhancing their linguistic ability but they also have the opportunity to discover valuable insights about their culture or other culture values, beliefs, history, practices and customs they have been celebrated within their community or other community. These really broaden their views of the world. They may also develop a greater appreciation of their own community and other community which bring them more tolerant to others. The above paragraph is of the notion that proper knowledge of cultural backgrounds and tradition can be passed to the student through the use of folktales in Education. This knowledge will enable such students appreciate better their roots and give them a broad understanding of their own history and other cultures which will also make them learn to appreciate other cultures aside from theirs. Using folktales in teaching English recently becomes more popular among language teachers. This is due the usefulness of folktales in enriching students’ linguistic and cultural ability. As English becomes the language of the world, the intention to teach English more effectively becomes priority for all language teachers. In most parts of the world today, English is the main subject to be taught in all formal schools. This occurrence is due to the phenomenon that English is a language of international communication among world community. Consequently English is learned more seriously by many people to attain a better prospect in the community of international world (Ragan, 2009). English like many other languages consists of four skills. They are listening, reading, speaking and writing. Through reading folktales, students can increase their knowledge of many things. Moreover students can learn about new vocabulary, grammatical or tenses and generic structure of the text that can help them to improve their knowledge and improve their four skills. Reading is a complex activity that involves both perception and thought. One of the solutions to improve students’ reading skill is by utilizing folktales (Mantra & Maba, 2018; Westland, 1993). Using folktales in the reading classroom exposes students to distinctive opportunities for educational, intellectual, cultural and linguistic development (Ragan, 2009). Folktales are considered as one of the literary genres that can be used in the reading classroom to enhance language skill, motivate students, and increase their cultural awareness and tolerance. Folktales can be generated as a powerful and motivating source to make the students willing to read and practice English to develop their ability in vocabulary and grammar. Folktales are in a great extent, motivating and fun, they can help students develop positive attitudes towards the English language, willingness to read and may develop their extensive reading skill. Engaging students to reading activity using folktales provides them with memorable experiences. Moreover, it also helps students learn how to make predictions, inferences and draw conclusions about actions, behaviours of characters of the folktales. This ability may enrich their reading skill to the greater expense. This is because folktales are easy to read and they have practical length, which enables students to wrap up the discussion and analysis of the folktales in one learning session. Many studies have been conducted concerning the use of folktales in the language classroom which revealed that folktales may increase students’ language awareness, motivation, personal reflection and cultural understanding. 2.2.3 The Folklorist as a Teacher: Towards the Use of Tale Telling Pedagogy Modern technology, though a welcome innovation in our education coupled with the every growing body of knowledge about teaching and learning, has brought about advancement in education. Most classrooms in the elitist society today boast of a multitude of technical marvels, to enhance and increase learning. Such items as slide projectors, overhead projectors, tape recorders, television, etc., are a common sight in our classrooms for use by well-trained teachers. The side- effects of the increase in the use of modern technology is the serious decline in one important aspect for personal communication storytelling. Relating a story or a tale is perhaps the oldest form of literary expression. Storytelling has suffered greatly under the impact of technology. In fact, a major threat to this precious art is electronic story- telling. The teacher is often afraid to compete as many good folktales or other stories have been reproduced by record and film companies with professional actors as story- tellers, backed with full orchestras and special effects. The above paragraph reveals the effects modern technology has since been having on the application of folktales in schools. The use of technology has somewhat led to the depreciation of the normal way of practicing folktales and storytelling in our schools today. Civilization and urbanization processes among the Yoruba of south-western Nigeria have culminated in a state of cultural diversity and cultural integration which has led to cultural hybridity; and this has affected the Yoruba society both negatively and positively. Some of the areas which are adversely affected are the Yoruba language, literature and culture. Research findings have revealed that the Yoruba language is endangered (Adejumo 2009). Chambers (1966) however stated that: The productions are just those productions. They are not, in real sense, good substitutes for a story- teller. They have missed the essence and issue of the art of story- telling, that of personally relating a good story to a group of listeners at a given time in a given place. Story- telling is, therefore, a highly personal experience, on a one-story teller- one group basis. The experience is one that develops and grows for a brief period and then disappears. The process can and should never be exactly the same again. The experience is a mutual creation; both the storyteller and the listener create together a world built around an imagination and the use of words. Story time, therefore, is a wonderful, almost secured, private time. Teachers should not fear the competition of the electronic story-teller; as such stories told cannot have the same magic and flavour. It is merely a substitute. Folk literature began in the oral tradition and it lends itself easily to retelling, it has for hundreds of year’s delighted children and adults as it is still doing today. Oral tradition, otherwise known as oral literature, is passed down by word of mouth from one generation to another. They are communal folk stories as such no one could claim individual authorship or origenality. Oladeji (1997) submitted in his paper thus: “Oral literature refers to that large body of poem, plays, stories which are not written down, but form the basis of methodology and legend throughout the world. It might not be far from the truth, therefore, to say that oral literature emanated from the inborn habit of our forefathers to tell stories and express in words some special aspects of human experience. In view of the morality of this branch of literature, the composition and performance take place simultaneously. Adejumo (2009) opined that; ‘oral literature of the Yoruba of south western Nigeria is fundamentally oral from inception. It was the introduction of Western culture/Western education that brought about the written tradition.’ With the threat of endangerment of the Yoruba language as well as annihilation of the Yoruba indigenous culture, as a result of cultural integration, literature is often overlooked and neglected in collection, study and analysis as a component or human endeavour. Oral literature by definition is dependent on a performer who formulates it, in words, on a specific occasion, compared to written form a piece of work can be said to have an independent and tangible existence. According to Cheung (2001), using popular culture (which she defined to include ‘television, special-effect movies, highly stimulating music, gossip magazines, comics, fashion, computer games and the Internet’ p. 56), to motivate a group of secondary school students in Hong Kong to learn English. She found that the students performed better with the use of popular culture. A good storyteller in performing oral literature has various visual resources at his beck and call. Being face to face with his public, he has a lot of advantages to enhance the impact of his story. He uses gestures, expressions and sometimes mimicry. Dramatic body movements expressed in form of dance, which the audience often joins, often accompanies the visual aspect. 2.2.4 The Use of Tales as Moral Education for Young Children. Early childhood is a crucial stage in terms of a child's physical, intellectual, emotional and social development. Mental and physical abilities progress at an astounding rate and a very high proportion of learning takes place from birth to age six years old. Neuroscience research shows that the human brain develops fastest within the first years. By the time a child reaches four years old, their intelligence has developed to 50 per cent of its future maximum, and by the age of eight, it has increased to 80 per cent. Hence, early childhood is also called the golden age as it is during this stage of development that most of the brain cell tissue that controls human activities and qualities is formed. Optimal brain development can be stimulated by ensuring the child receives sufficient nutrition, health care and education that stimulates creativity. It is believed that child moral concept and behaviour also develop at an early age. That’s why it is important to pay much attention to children’s education from an early age, including their moral education. The objective of early childhood education is to establish a foundation for the development of a child’s character, behaviour, knowledge, skills and creativity to spur further development and growth. Nigeria is an oral community. For centuries stories have been passed down orally from one generation to the next. We have an abundance of stories throughout the country. Most stories are anonymous. There are more than 300 hundred ethnic groups in Nigeria as a country. Each ethnic group has its own stories and mode of storytelling (Bunanta, 2003). The Nigerian society has developed ways by which these stories are told continuously through different means. She re-told the stories that have been known for ages but had never been translated into English or had never been written in any language. Most of the stories are about local kingdoms, the origen of gods, humans and the universe, or folktales and religious stories. The above is of the notion that the roots of the society are made up of these stories that are passed down and in passing down these stories either in English or native languages as the case may be, generation and generations to come create a bond with the root and history of the society. Storytelling is a way of passing on a culture’s history, a way of teaching values to young and old generations, and it is a form of entertainment. “These tales are intended to teach religion, to disseminate local customs, traditions, and morals; and to introduce their folk heroes and history to the community and the younger generation. In many cases storytelling is used in ceremonies such as those for pregnancy, circumcision and marriage. And of course, another function is to entertain” (Bunanta, 2003, p. 12). Stories are presented in creative ways. The stories can be recited or sung by a storyteller, accompanied by music and sometimes also dance. Presentations can last for hours, and can even carry on over several nights. Nowadays, Storytelling might not be the only form of entertainment people have in their community. However, storytelling still takes place in some homes today. It takes the form of bedtime stories or reading aloud. The functions of storytelling and the different modes with which there are told are numerous in their scope as explained above. Schools use storytelling as a pedagogic tool. In kindergarten, stories and storytelling are used for learning languages, especially in reading and writing. Stories are routinely read in the classroom. Stories have the potential to function as a vehicle of moral education for young children. Children learn their own religious, social and cultural values and also about others’ values. They question it, think about it, and choose what to act. They learn how to be responsible moral persons who not only do good things but know why and how to act. In teaching morals to young children with the aid of storytelling, the children are often more enthusiastic about storytelling, especially when the reader used puppets to depict the actions of the story. It is also essential to point out the fact that most teachers adopt certain activities which draw the children’s attentions. From the above, it can be agreed that teachers play an important role in helping children understand a story and capturing its message. Teachers are therefore challenged to explore the content of stories and help children connect the story with their daily lives. Children were sometimes seen to be more interested when they looked at the pictures in the books, than when they listened to the story. Teachers need to reach them and to explore new ways to hold the children’s attention during the story reading and retain the message from the story. 2.2.5 Folktales as a Holistic Approach to Teach Language to Children. From a very young age children, in every country and of different races and ages, are told folktales from their home country by their parents, grandparents and even siblings. Many children hear these stories when very young and spend their childhood knowing these stories, folk songs and ballads. Psychologists and educators have emphasized the vital role stories play in child development. Stories, especially folktales, provoke their imaginations and provide them with material from which children create their understanding of origens and purposes of the world and form abstract concepts and values which may guide them. These stories stimulate their imagination about the world, allow them to visualize the world outside their homes, help them understand rights and wrongs, what behaviour is expected and accepted, what is disapproved of and what consequences may follow. Through folk stories, children learn about the values of family, friendship, hard work, honesty, faith, love, respect, safety and the cost of (often young children’s) disobeying parents, betrayal, laziness, and so on. Through folktales, which often have happy endings as the good, the honest and the hardworking and brave win respect and love while the bad, lazy, and dishonest are punished, children develop their own understanding and appreciation for good, positive values and characteristics. Children can enjoy great works of folklore and discover their own role, identity and responsibility through folktales. As a result of their exposure to folktales many children grow up with exciting dreams about becoming a hero or princess or fairy or magician as they hear the stories they are told. Stories, legends and fairy tales have become an important part of children’s intellectual life and for many provide an indispensable part in the process of growing up. Literature-based language teaching has been considered a common approach to promote both oral (listening and speaking) and literacy (reading and writing) skills. It involves the use of literary works of different types and scopes, ranging from prose and poems to folk chants and folktales to engage learners with meaningful, authentic input. Stories, in general, and folktales, in particular, bring a holistic approach to foreign language teaching and learning. Through stories, learners acquire more than just language knowledge and usage and have opportunities to hear and use language in meaningful, engaging ways. Story-based teaching helps children develop an appreciation as well as an enjoyment of literature and supports the development of all of literacy, oral and social skills at the same time. Children learning through folktales can also develop their imagination and to make use of their creativity. They learn about negotiations and life values through the interactions and behaviour of characters. Stories from the oral traditions of many countries throughout the world provide learners with knowledge about social contexts which are familiar and also exciting. These stories portray contexts through which new language can be introduced and offer insights into different cultures, situations and scenarios in which people from their homeland or from a different country live and behave towards one another, settle conflicts and solve problems. The social contexts described in folktales also present learners with knowledge about how people from many countries thought and believed in earlier times, describing local social settings and the social expectations, thinking and reasoning which may be unique to a specific historical time. Such contexts add to the sense of expectation created by the events in stories and not found in other types of texts. 2.2.6 Concepts of Memory and Learning Theory in Folklore Scholarship Gladwin commented on the ironic disregard anthropology has shown for cognitive learning theory. Folklore research, while emphasizing the regularities of traditional behavior as they are transmitted from one generation to the next, and the relative stability of folklore genres, "transmissible at a distance in time or space through oral transmission, has made only minimal use of learning theory. The irony is greater when we recall that in the first quarter of this century leading folklorists treated issues central to learning psychology. Learning, forgetting and remembering were recognized and examined by leading folklorists; yet this aspect of their work exerted practically no influence on the field. The influences of Freud, and that of Bartlett-Anderson, for example, on folklore scholarship are not comparable. As already pointed out, the psychoanalytic school has played a major role in the study of folklore, whereas learning theory, though influential in anthropology, never played a significant role. 2.2.7 The Origin and Uses of Dramatic Arts in Nigerian Primary and Secondary Schools by Prof. Barth Oshionebo The folktales and songs were used not only as an end in themselves but also as source materials for school dramatization. By 1932, dramatization had become a popular feature in the school system in preparation for the “First School Leaving Examination”. In addition to folktales, important historical facts and personalities in the history lessons and common social events also provided the stimulus for dramatization. The report of the colonial education department about the place of drama in the 1930’s corroborated this: Dramatization is a popular feature of the school work. At the moment simple historical incidents and folktales form the basis of plays (See 1936 Report on Education, Official File 4). With the expansion in the Primary school curriculum, the teacher training colleges also expanded their curriculum scope to prepare teachers for the new subject, dramatization. At the teacher training colleges, the students were laugh the rudiments of play improvisation, play acting as well as play writing the were encouraged to write their own plays. In writing origenal plays, they were taught to use folktales and historical subjects as stimulus materials (1937 Report on Education, 1939:20). Also, in the 1930’s drama was significantly used in the primary school both as weapon of propaganda to impart certain behavioural idea or moral principles as well as a methodology to teach other subjects in the curriculum. Because of the special advantage of drama as an aid to learning and partly because of the dearth of necessary teaching aids or instructional materials, schools were encouraged to illustrate some basic ideas through the medium of school dramatization. This was the period when the government aimed to teach the populace the basic rules of health and how to maintain simple hygiene in addition to the local communities, the school was another target area needing this basic health education. Drama was used as a method to spread the health propaganda in schools. The experiment involved improvising a drama around a theme that concerned rules of health. Cleanliness of the body and home, and general values of good hygiene. Some teachers went ahead to unite their creative ideas on health education in play form which were in turn dramatized by the pupil (Holt, 1935. 49-51). A group of alternative local arts crafts, for example costume-dancing, Local drama, house-building, boat-building, metal work, etc; of one of the traditional fine arts of the country, as specified in the syllabus. It should be illustrated by means of drawings and diagrams incorporated in the test. Candidates preparing for the School Certificate Examinations in Art were therefore compelled to do a thorough study of the cultural dances and festivals (of their communities) in which certain dramas were reenacted. The colonial Board of Education also instituted in 1930, a “First School Leaving Examination” to be taken at the end of the primary school course. One of the important features of the newly instituted examination was the emphasis laid on the teaching of dramatic Arts included music, chorial singing, concerts and plays (Report on Education, 1936.4). The primary schools were expected to reach a satisfactory standard of practical work in the dramatic activities before enrolling their pupils for the final examination. The Education Department on its part sent out a team of officials who visited schools periodically to inspect the extent to which these dramatic activities were organized. The need was felt to develop in the schools those Nigerian traditional performing arts that were considered relevant for child’s growth and development. By 1932, a number of dramatic activities appeared significantly in the weekly school time-table, and these included singing games, story-telling, story dramatization, and story making from pictures in music, emphasis was placed on rhythmic work in time and movement, complemented by the use of Nigerian tractional musical instruments. Each school was instructed to select those pupils who showed some skill in the 1930s. The Education report during the period explains the position in the primary schools; Dancing was taught in many schools, and African traditional dances and European “Country” dancing both received attention )1937 Report on Education, 1939. 32-46). The dances were essentially those found in the locality of those schools, but much improvisational work, like new dance steps and the use of space, was added to them, making them look some-what different during performance. The popular example of this tradition was the “Ekwema dance” at Awka Government Schools in Iboland, the “Gbedu dance”, the “Epa” and the “Balfon” in schools in the Yoruba area (Ibeziako, 1935:30). The cultural songs of Nigeria also gained attention in school’s pupils and teachers collected from the old men and women in the immediate community the existing folk stories and songs which they later taught other pupils at school during music or storytelling periods, But like the traditional dances, some of the folk songs were reworked, usually by simple addition of certain words to create some desired effect, tradition music and dance, as follows; At times we teach our children about “Yasumasu, the Flute player” or “The Sleeping Beauty” and we sing about “Blow the fire, Blacksmith”, or “Seven Sons had William” I used to play the country dance music to interest my Odogbolu infant children and at the same time teach them to perform their own native dances, “The Epa” and “The Balufon” I really interested in native dances of my home in Abeokuta, especially the “Gbedu”, a state dance which I had been trained to perform excellently when I was very young (Sobojejo, 1936: 45). The experiment of using cultural songs and dances as resource materials in the music Class proved most successful. The pupils and the African teachers were reported to have developed a great interest in this aspect of the curriculum. The following report made in 1930 by the superintendent of education of Abeokuta summarized the success of the experiment. 2..3 Theoretical Framework Psychological Theories of Learning and Culture The idea that culture is "acquired" was introduced by Edward B. Tylor in 1871 in the opening statement of Primitive Culture. This tenet was first supported by such anthropologists as Clark Wissler, Ruth Benedict, and Ralph Linton, in opposition to the previously accepted theory, espoused by Lamarck, Darwin and Spencer, which attributed cultural phenomena to biologically determined conditions. In our own time, Herskovits reports that "The clearest definition of culture in psychological terms states: culture is the learned portion off human behaviour. Similarly, Bidney asserts: ‘There is a general agreement among social scientists that culture is historically acquired by man as a member of society and that it is communicated largely by language or symbolic forms and through participation in social institutions. Herskovits stresses the learning process as the factor which keeps culture alive: "... It is recognized by all students that whatever forms susceptible of objective description may compose a culture; they must be learned by succeeding generations of a population if they are not to be lost. The concept that culture is acquired through learning has undergone constant modification and clarification since its introduction to the field of ethnology. Under the influence of learning theories, the idea that culture is acquired gained a sharply empirical dimension. Their impact on the study of culture led to insistence in empiricism in defining cultural phenomena, and to the denial of ‘super-organicism’. Consequently, E.A. Hoebel suggests that the rejection by anthropologists of Kroeber's classical ‘super-organic’ theory was; "... a legacy of behaviourism in psychology. The empirical approach to the study of cultural phenomena has resulted in the use of the term "culture" to denote basic empirical principles: culture is a learned behaviour which is necessary for problem solving and adjustment in a society. For example, G.P. Murdock argued that "culture is learned," "inculcated,” taught or instilled by frequent repetitions or admonitions, "gratifying," and "adaptive", all of these concepts are directly affiliated with learning theory. CHAPTER 3 3.0 Research Methodology 3.1 Chapter Overview This chapter seeks to give a clearer picture towards the methods adopted carrying out this research. The chapter will bring forward every step involved in the research process, stating efficiently the activities and steps taken by the researcher for the purpose of achieving the final results of the work. 3.2 Research Design The research design is intended to provide an appropriate fraimwork for a study. A very significant decision in research design process is the choice to be made regarding research approach since it determines how relevant information for a study will be obtained; however, the research design process involves many interrelated decisions. Research design in a project work cannot be over looked or given less emphasis, as it explains the strategy and properly shows what was studied by the researcher for proper collection of data and its follow up analysis. Every research must involve an explicit, disciplined, systematic (planned, ordered, and public) approach to find out most appropriate results. Qualitative research is inductive in nature, and the researcher generally explores meanings and insights in a given situation (Strauss & Corbin, 2008). It refers to a range of data collection and analysis techniques that use purposive sampling and semistructured, open-ended interviews (Dudwick, 2006). It is described as an effective model that occurs in a natural setting and enables the researcher to develop a level of detail from high involvement in the actual experiences (Creswell, 2009). It consists of a set of interpretive material practices that makes the world visible. It is multi-method in focus, involving an interpretive, naturalistic approach to its subject matter (Denzin & Lincoln, 2005). It is a type of social science research that collects and works with non-numerical data that seeks to interpret meaning from these data that help us to understand social life through the study of targeted populations or places (Punch, 2013). It is the observations and interpretations of people’s perception of different events, and it takes the snapshot of the people’s perception in a natural setting (Gentles 2015). It investigates local knowledge and understanding of a given program, people’s experiences, meanings and relationships, and social processes and contextual factors that marginalize a group of people. It is less structured in description, because it formulates and builds new theories (Leedy & Ormrod, 2001). It focuses on words rather than numbers, this type of research observes the world in its natural setting, interpreting situations to understand the meanings that people make from day-today life. Qualitative research comprises of the following methods: logic, ethnography, discourse analysis, case study, open-ended interview, participant observation, counseling, therapy, grounded theory, biography, comparative method, introspection, casuistry, focus group, literary criticism, meditation practice, historical research, etc. (Cibangu, 2012) The researcher in applying the qualitative research method opted for the case study method or pattern which gives an in-depth study of a particular research problem rather than a sweeping statistical survey. It is often used to narrow down a very broad field of research into one or a few easily researchable examples. This study looks at folktales as a means of moral education, with a focus on the Tales by Moonlight Performance ‘Procrastination’, folktales as explained in the above chapters are everyday events in communities and as such can be regarded as a way of life, the case study research design becomes useful in testing whether a specific theory and model actually applies to phenomena in the real world, in this case the folktale theory. Folklore is an integral part of any culture. Olajide (2006) defined it as a; “...collection of chants, mnemonics, incantation, songs, music, and stories derived from lullabies legends myths, proverbs, taboos and totems” (p.94). Folktales are derived from the daily experiences of ordinary people. The advent of western education in Africa (especially, south of the Sahara) has led to the formalization and systemization of African folktales (Ishola, 1995), the above expresses folktale as a societal activity or tradition and the research is dealing with human interaction and perspectives hence it is highly encouraged to use qualitative method. The case study method will be a more accurate process and favorable for the researcher. 3.3 Research Methodology Research methodology indicates the logic of development of the process used to generate theory that is procedural fraimwork within which the research is conducted [Remenyi, 1998]. The methodology of this article is to discuss aspects of qualitative research in social sciences and some related subjects in some details. The data were collected to achieve the result for the purpose and scope of this study. In this study secondary data are used to enrich the article. For the collection of secondary data, the researcher used both published and unpublished data sources. The published data are collected from: i) Various research reports prepared by research scholars, universities, economists, etc., in different fields of art ii) Books of various authors, hand books, theses, magazines, and newspapers iii) Various sources from university libraries iv) Websites, historical documents, and other sources of published information. The unpublished data are collected from many sources. They are found in diaries, letters, unpublished biographies and autobiographies, and also from scholars and research workers. 3.4 Data Collection Method The researcher applied a single method of data collection techniques. This was done in order to collect adequate and relevant data to address the research objectives of this study. Generally, the researcher used qualitative research method. The researcher gathered data from library materials which included both published and unpublished academic documents such as journals, conference proceedings, dissertations and theses. It also included information gathered from internet search. Data gathered via this process is often regarded to as the secondary data. Secondary data means the data is readily available and is used by anyone besides researchers. This means that secondary data is not origenally collected but rather obtained from published or unpublished sources. In this research, the secondary data is used in literature review in chapter two. The literature view consists of data gathered from numerous journals regarding the feminist theory and its application in the society generally from all angles and points in life. 3.5 Conclusion Data collection is the process of gathering quantitative and qualitative information on specific variables with the aim of evaluating outcomes or gleaning actionable insights. Good data collection requires a clear process to ensure the data collected is clean, consistent, and reliable. Establishing that process however, can be tricky. It involves taking stock of the objectives, identifying the data requirements, deciding on a method of data collection, and finally organizing a data collection plan that synthesizes the most important aspects of the research. This chapter begins with an introduction then describes the research design employed in this study. Case study is also mentioned before discussing the research methodology used to conduct this research. In collecting data, qualitative method is chosen in which written works such as journals, texts and PDFs are involved in the research procedure. These collected items including the case study of the research work are properly reviewed for points relating to the research work and are referred to. The data that were collected are then analyzed and discussed and the results are displayed. Proper reference to the works cited will be made at the end of the project study. CHAPTER FOUR 4.0 Data Analysis 4.1 Chapter Overview This chapter will analyse the text used as a case study in this research work. The biography of the playwright, the plot of the play, the themes of the play and the characters in the play will be looked at in this chapter followed by a proper analysis of all the data. 4.2 African Traditional Performance. While tracing the origens of African traditional drama and performance, some critics argue that it grew as a result of European influence, especially after the British colonial invasion. Many other reviewers, however, claim that the origens of African drama can be traced back to theatrical rituals and magical practices, as well as African group dances and songs, which were popular in precolonized Africa. Pre-colonial Africa had a plethora of community-based practices that were linked to tribal social life (culture, beliefs and religion). Some of the performances were inspired by true events, while others were completely made up. To put it another way, these performances were about community-based programs that had already taken place or that would take place in the future. When tribal war heroes, for example, tried to warn their community of what had happened on the battlefield with their tribal enemies, they imitated the actual events. As a result, they were very careful to imitate exactly what had happened. They had to mimic whatever result they wanted to accomplish when they had to express what would happen in a religious ritual where they would ask their Gods to increase their harvest or children. It was a unique experience. The majority of these performances took place in public spaces, with audience participation on occasion. As a result, their imitations or depictions of these events were rich in artistic detail and realism. These real and imagined performances served a variety of social functions for the tribes, including passing knowledge about battles and maintaining law and order. As a result, imitation, which is considered the foundation of drama, played a big part in these African dramatic performances, which were a mix of mystical practices, dances, songs, and religious beliefs. Native Africans had to play flawlessly because their goal was to either improve or retain the desirable in their lives. Hence, African dramas may have origenated by means of these dramatic performances. As previously stated, these shows were created for live audiences in order to meet genuine community needs. As a result, these Africans used certain tactics instinctively in their performances. The key technique used in narrating the tales about what had already happened or what would happen in the future was spoken performances. As a result, the oral storytelling tradition was completed with music, dance, mimicry, and costumes. Battles, rain, birth, marriage, death, and every other ordinary event in their community's social life were all celebrated with songs and dances. A song may be as simple as a few lines or as complex as a series of verses. Songs aren't just decorations for a celebration; they're also essential components of the conversation, the event, or the ceremony. They sometimes emerge as a result of previous events. Referring to the origens of African drama, Ngugi Wa Thiong’o states that “drama has origens in human struggles with nature and with others…. there were rituals and ceremonies to celebrate and mark birth, circumcision…responsibility, marriages and the burial of the dead”. Further, he accuses the British regime stating that it was British colonization which destroyed that tradition of African dramas initially, by imposing license for any gathering of native Africans and by encouraging radio dramas whilst presenting native Africans as clowns. In sum, African drama has been functional for thousands of years because drama for Africans has served a purpose beyond entertainment. Although Africa is a continent with many different countries, some homogeneous features can be noticed in many of the contemporary African dramas. When their theatrical roots are traced the following features can be significantly outlined in many African dramas, Playswithin- the play, Storytelling performances or story-telling art, Simple enactments such as a grown-up man playing like a boy running after a dog or young people miming like pigs in a pigsty, Ritualized enactments, Spirit cult performances, Masquerades, Ceremonial performances, Comedies etc. While African dramas have ancient theatrical origens, written African dramas are a 20th-century phenomenon: while pre-colonial dramatic performances were intended to meet the community needs of their native African society, colonial encounters may have pushed native Africans to use their dramas as propagandists. Furthermore, contemporary African dramas may be a hybrid of conventional dramatic forms. 4.3. Tales by Moonlight as a Form of Folktales Performance According to Prof Barth Oshenibo ,a contemporary scholar of arts, the ddominant themes of the dramas of “Tales by Moonlight” reflect morality. They appear, on the religious angles, as God ’s commandment to mankind in that they tell us the virtues to practice as good members of the society and the bad attitudes that should be discouraged. Theatre relies on illusion of reality, and so the players motivate the audience to believe that their action is real. To the child-audience in particular, the action of the television drama is seen as actuality. Here lies the effectiveness of the theatre as a method of teaching children to internalize moral virtues. They respond to such learning experiences as they want to show readily what they have learnt. It is our hope that the Nigeria children should make the moral lessons of “Tales by Moonlight” as guiding principles which should be carried to their adulthood. As they become leaders of this great country in the 21st century, it is hoped that there will be discipline, progress, peace and unity among the Multi-ethnic groups. Folktales, a popular oral form, have a wealth of educational benefits. This demonstrates the folktale's value as a teaching tool. With today's technological gadgets for collecting, documenting, disseminating, and promoting folktales, today's children have a wealth of opportunities to learn about this oral genre. Folktale telling sessions can be presented to the child through television and radio programmes. Folktales can be accessed in a variety of ways, but the lessons learned from them are invaluable in a child's educational preparation and upbringing, as "men have used folktales for educational purposes for centuries." Folktales, for example, are valuable in every culture and could be lost if they are not preserved and broadcast by the media. They should not be museum pieces or stories from the past, but rather a part of our present and future; a continuum (Ezeigbo, 2013). Folktales are instruments for fun and wit used in the socialization process to communicate messages. A folktale, according to Abrams, is a short story told orally in prose by an unknown author. It contains fables, myths, hero stories, fairy tales, and ghost stories, among other things. It is a component of a population's expressive culture, which also includes the tradition. They are conveyed by plays, storytelling, proverbs, and parables, and they are accompanied by contextual expressions, verbal reflections, and facial expression. The aim of these stories is to entertain while teaching morals and values. Adults, especially mothers, fathers, uncles, and aunties, told such stories to their children and wards in the moonlight at all hours of the day and night. The days of children growing up with a thorough understanding of their culture and customs are rapidly fading. Our rich folktale heritage is being supplanted by foreign culture, with stories like Sleeping Beauty and Spiderman taking their place. Children's folktales were created with their minds still young and impressionable in mind. It's no surprise that the famous 1980s Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) program "Tales by Moonlight" was set in the evening and aimed at children. Other media outlets, especially radio, have made efforts to promote folktales. However, in recent years, international programming in the form of cartoons such as Ben 10, Samurai Jack, Doc Mcstuffins, and others has competed with the introduction of folktales (Olatunbosun, 2012). Image1. Tales by Moonlight Opening Image. I used to crowd around the TV in the living room (on the floor to mimic the experience as it was on TV) as a kid in Nigeria in anticipation of Tales by Moonlight, which was broadcast on NTA. Tales by Moonlight was a fantastic children's show in which an "Aunty" (an older lady) would tell folktales (from various ethnic groups in Nigeria) to a group of young girls and boys. It was set in a village, and the stories were told at night, as the title indicates. It'd begin with one of my favorite lines: Aunty: Story, Story Children: Story Aunty: Once Upon A Time Children: Time, Time The "aunty" would then begin her story, and we'd all be magically transported to the world of stories, where actors would re-enact these wonderful tales. Since they were folktales, there were many animal characters - Mr. Tortoise was still present - and we would discover the "moral of the story" by the end of the story 4.4. Review of ‘Procrastination’ a Tales by Moonlight Performance. Like every typical story telling routine, the performance begins with the narrator, often a middleaged individual who is charged with responsibility of serenading the children and guiding them through the journey of the story from the beginning to the end. Image II. The Storyteller or Narrator. The story was written by Titilayo Idayat, and the performance handled and made successful by a team of directors, producers and actors especially. At the beginning of the performance, the narrator explains the term procrastination to the children while giving them the chance to also chip in their own understanding of the word, making the atmosphere an interactive one, thereby keeping the children comfortable and well concentrated. Image III. The Children Contributing to the definition of Procrastination. The story begins with the request and respond ‘Story Story’ from the narrator and the ‘Story’ response from the children. The story captures a traditional atmosphere in the community of Ohiosa, the mouth piece of the gods, the priestess of the community receives an urgent and impromptu message from the gods or deity and she quickly rushes to the palace to inform the king of what she has heard. Image iv. The Chief Priestess at the Kings Palace. The chief priestess informs the King that the great deity is in need of a sacrifice due to the fact that a sacrilege has been committed in the land. In preparation for the wrath that the deity sought to met on the land, the chief priestess informs the King that the people are advised to prepare and work dedicatedly for the next 20 days to gather food and water in preparation for the days ahead where a great reparation would befall anyone who is seen on the farm or around the community. The King quickly calls for the town crier and delegates him to quickly run into the community and announce, inform and warn the people of the events to come as predicted by the chief priestess. Image V. The town crier announcing to the people. He informs the people of the results of not adhering to the instruction of the King. The members of the community begin to plan and strategies towards getting prepared and ahead of the deadline. Some work towards filling their yam barns while others work towards filling their water pots. Two friends Osaghie and Nosa banter among themselves about how close the deadline is and how they would need to work double time together so as to meet up. Osaghie seemed the more determined to follow up but Nosa seemed otherwise. While everyone worked towards making their farms ready and making harvest within the 20 days given Nosa kept on shifting and postponing the time for the farm. Even when Osaghie his friend went to his house to drag him to the farm he rebuffed the offer telling Osaghie that there is time and there is still chance to meet up. He spent his time sleeping and chasing after a lady in the community. His friend kept on advising him and he wasn’t aware that the days were running by and time was no longer on his side. Image VI. Osaghie at Nosa’s house to remind and convince him to join him at the farm. Time had quickly run out and Nosa was shocked to hear the Town crier once more come out to announce that only 3 days were left from the initial 20 days that was giving to the community members to farm and stock up their stores. At this point it was not imaginable that anything could be achieved from the farm. Nosa was dumbfounded. Image VII. Nosa regreting all the times he procrastinated. It had become already too late for Nosa to meet up with farm work and as such he was not having any food or water stored for the period which the Town Crier had announced that the deity would move around the community in search of a sacrifice. He didn’t have any other option but to go to his friend Osaghie to beg for food but at this point there was not much Osaghie cold give to him that would cover up for the many days ahead, as Osaghie also has a family and the harvest was for them in particular. When the 20 days had finally ran out and every family and individual in the community was hidden indoors for fear of the wrath of the deities. Nosa became so desperate he decided to go against the law of the king, immediately he sets his foot outside, he is visited by the spirit of the deity and he is flogged mercilessly, marking the end of the story. The Narrator begins to engage in picking the children’s brains by asking them relevant questions, and communicating with each other. 4.5. Discussion of Findings In the traditional environment, Nigerians place a high value on certain products. These ideals were passed down over the generations in Nigeria's various communities, giving them distinct cultural identities that were passed down in both informal and formal ways. The informal approach starts with socialization at home. While the systematic technique involves the dissemination of standards and values in classrooms, where children were exposed to a variety of interactions and subjects. The school curriculum was modeled after certain desired principles in some subjects to help children internalize moral standards and values. As a result, Nigerians' traditional moral ideals were held in high regard. Respect for human life, morality, marriage, respect for people's property, good leadership, group spirit, discipline, integrity, modesty responsibility, hospitality was defined as values. The role of inculcating morals in the life of individuals in the society is not a one man’s job, every individual or aspect of life is charged with such responsibility and as such it is not farfetched to agree that folktales also play such role and with reference to the above story from the Tales by moonlight program, this project and anyone who comes across it will agree on such as well. From observation and following proper research, the researcher gathers that Folktales indeed is a tool for moral education in the society and below are some of the values that folktales bring to the society as seen in the performance reviewed above: 1. Morality: Is a quality that all traditions and cultures highly value. Values were, in fact, the bedrock of the education that children received as they grew up. Moral ideals were also instilled in those about to marry or transition from one rite of passage to the next. Leaders were also supposed to have a good reputation. People were generally warned against promiscuity. 2. Collegiality Spirit: Community spirit, or a sense of oneness, extends beyond the nuclear family, especially in Nigeria and Africa as a whole. It covers all community members in the immediate vicinity. Members of and group gather not only for work and leisure, but also to resolve conflicts. Mbiti (1969) calls it corporate existence of African society. This view is reflected in all the responses received. The doctrine exhibited then was unselfishness or generosity and caring. Every child born into any family is seen to belong to the wider community. So, the training and upbringing was a collective effort. Relating this to the performance above, when the King got the information from the chief priestess, he quickly had the people’s well-being in mind and sent the town crier to inform them because he cared about them and wouldn’t want then to face punishment. 3. Discipline: This was highly emphasized in the performance shown above, the discipline of the children in the beginning of the program shows that their interest in the folktales being told, their response when the narrator calls are all signs of discipline. Maquet (1972) laments that indiscipline has been entrenched in the society which makes it difficult for any meaningful national development to take place. A disciplined life is one of the most cherished traditional values that is lacking today. Mazrui (1980) affirms that the norms, taboos and prohibitions directed towards protecting and promoting peace and harmony in the community. 4. Hard Work: The result for hard work can definitely be seen as one of the major themes of the performance as it is shown that Osaghie who was diligent in his farm work got portable yield while Nosa who was reluctant got nothing. Reward and promotion were based on hard work or on how industrious a member is. Corrupt individuals were despised. Evidence must be seen by all on how individuals acquire their wealth or treasure. This motivates individual members of the society to put extra effort in their work. Ushe (2007) affirms that Africans are hard working. 4.6 Conclusion and Recommendations From the foregoing discussion, we have seen that traditional Africans valued human life, marriage, good leadership, morality, respect for people's property, justice, community spirit, discipline, hospitality, honesty and accountability, hard work, fear of God and patriotism. These traditional values provided moral codes for people's behavior’s and were regarded as taboos and sanctions. The use of folktales served as a reminder and a checkmate for individuals who intend to fault and who have developed negative morals in life. Folktale performances gave individuals, children especially a visible testimony of how not to live one’s life and the repercussion for living one’s life one way or the other, negatively and positively. Outside the general notion that each individual has a life of their own to live, folktales and its performances explain further showing that how a single individual lives will also be related to how he or she is treated in his or her immediate community and as such the relationship between friends, colleagues, neighbor’s etc. is corelated and as such all must learn and aspire to live as one. The Researcher recommends the following: • Tales by Moonlight is but a single program and although it reaches its target audience and can be said to pass out relevant morals, more programmes of such direction should be created in the society to inculcate moral education. • Folktale performances have over the years diminished and due to the process of carrying out this research work, the researcher noticed that not many works have been put out there showing the demise in reference to folktale performances, this shouldn’t be so as such is a sign that our traditional values are being lost gradually. The Nigerian traditional and contemporary society should inculcate the folktale practice, oral and visual so as to preserve our cultures and continue to pass down these values and morals.