Synopsis: Originally handed down through the generations orally, the epic of Sundiata is the story of Sundiata Keita and the building of the Empire of Mali in the thirteenth century. This version, prose based on the telling of Djeli Mamadou Kouyaté, tells of how Sundiata's father chose a wife according to prophecy; of Sundiata's remarkable childhood and conflict with his brother; how a sorceror-king oppresses the people of Mali; how Sundiata defeats him both magically and militarily.