King Gorilla decrees that no one may marry his daughter until a suitor strong enough to consume a barrel of strange, intoxicating water is found.

When King Gorilla decides that only the strongest and bravest suitor will marry his daughter, Princess Gorilla's pleas that she be allowed to choose someone who loves her, are ignored. Luckily, the "test" fixed upon by King Gorilla proves enough to defeat everyone from the elephant to the leopard, until the "victory" of the clever talapoin presents him with an unusual problem...

A humorous folktale from the Mpongwe people of Gabon, Princess Gorilla and a New Kind of Water belongs to that class of tale in which ambitious parents aim too high for their marriageable daughters. These stories (the widespread Mouse Bride would be another example), which are always resolved when the daughter marries one of her "own kind," seem to be an argument for endogamy - marriage within the cultural group.

However that may be, and whatever didactic purpose the tale serves, it is also an enjoyable story, and young children will be charmed by Victoria Chess's droll illustrations, which so clearly express the emotions of each character. ( )

King Gorilla wants to marry his daughter to the best mate in the land, so he challenges the other animals to drink a barrel of "new water" (vinegar). Only one kind of animal figures out a tricky way to do it, but the trick ends up having a lasting effect on that species. Cartoony drawings highlight the funny nature of this folk tale.