In the vast wilderness of South Africa, where the golden grasslands stretch endlessly under the blazing sun, there lived a mighty Lion and a cunning Jackal who had formed an unlikely hunting partnership. The Lion, with his magnificent mane and powerful frame, commanded respect from all creatures, while the clever Jackal relied on his quick wit and silver tongue to survive in this harsh land.
One morning, as the first rays of sunlight painted the savanna in shades of amber and gold, Lion and Jackal set out together on a hunting expedition. Each carried his bow and arrows, ready to provide for their family. The air was crisp with the promise of adventure, and both hunters moved with the silent grace of experienced predators.
When they spotted their quarry grazing peacefully in the distance, Lion, confident in his strength and status, took the first shot. His arrow whistled through the air but fell disappointingly short of its target, landing with a dull thud in the dry earth. Jackal, however, drew his bowstring with practiced precision and released his arrow. It flew true, striking the animal cleanly.
“It has hit!” Jackal cried out joyfully, his voice echoing across the plains.
But as he spoke, he caught sight of Lion’s large, penetrating eyes fixed upon him with an intensity that made his blood run cold. The great cat’s golden gaze seemed to burn right through him, and Jackal immediately understood the dangerous position he had placed himself in. With the quick thinking that had kept him alive in this unforgiving wilderness, he hastily corrected himself.
“No, uncle,” he said with feigned deference, his voice smooth as honey, “I mean to say that you have hit the target.”
As they followed the wounded animal’s trail through the thorny scrubland, Jackal’s sharp eyes spotted Lion’s fallen arrow lying forgotten in the dust. With careful deliberation, he passed by it without drawing his companion’s attention to this evidence of the failed shot. The jackal’s mind was already spinning with possibilities, weaving the threads of a plan that would serve his own interests.
When they reached a crossroads where the path split in different directions, Jackal put on his most concerned expression. “Dear uncle,” he said with apparent solicitude, “you are old and tired from our long hunt. Please rest here while I track our prey.”
Without waiting for a response, Jackal deliberately took the wrong path. Once he was out of sight, he struck his nose against a sharp rock until it bled freely. Then, allowing the crimson drops to fall strategically along the false trail, he returned to where Lion waited.
“I could not find the animal,” he reported with convincing disappointment, “but I discovered traces of blood along this path. Perhaps you should follow it yourself, dear uncle, as your experienced eyes might see what mine have missed. Meanwhile, I shall search in the other direction.”
Lion, his pride stirred by the flattery and eager to claim his rightful trophy, lumbered off along the false trail. As soon as the great cat disappeared from view, Jackal raced toward where he knew the real quarry lay. He found the fallen animal and, driven by hunger and opportunity, crept inside the carcass to devour the choicest portions.
So consumed was he with his feast that Jackal forgot about his exposed tail, which protruded from the carcass like a banner announcing his deception. When Lion returned from his fruitless search and discovered this betrayal, his roar of fury shook the very foundations of the earth.
The mighty cat seized Jackal’s tail and yanked him from the carcass, hurling him to the ground with tremendous force. “You rascal!” Lion thundered, his voice carrying all the authority of the king of beasts.
But Jackal, ever the master of quick recovery, sprang to his feet with injured dignity. “What have I done wrong, dear uncle?” he protested, brushing dust from his fur with theatrical indignation. “I was merely cutting out the finest portions for your noble family!”
Lion’s anger began to cool, replaced by a grudging acceptance of this explanation. “Now let us go and fetch our wives,” he declared.
But Jackal, his mind already racing ahead to the next phase of his scheme, placed a restraining paw on Lion’s massive shoulder. “Please, dear uncle, remain here to guard our prize. You are wise and experienced, and I fear others might try to steal what we have rightfully earned. Allow me to fetch both our families.”
Lion, flattered by this appeal to his dignity and importance, agreed to remain behind. Jackal carefully portioned the meat, keeping the finest cuts for Lion’s family while reserving adequate portions for his own household.
When Jackal arrived at Lion’s den with the meat, the lion cubs immediately began leaping with excitement, their small voices ringing with joy. “There comes cousin with flesh!” they cried, clapping their tiny paws together.
Jackal tossed them the lesser portion with apparent generosity, though he muttered under his breath, “There, you brood of the big-eyed one!”
He then hurried to his own dwelling, where he urgently instructed his wife to pack their belongings immediately. “We must go to where the kill lies,” he explained. “But when Lioness asks to do the same, tell her that Lion himself will come to escort her.”
Following his instructions precisely, Jackal’s wife politely prevented Lioness from leaving, assuring her that her husband would soon arrive to fetch her personally.
Once Jackal had moved his family to the vicinity of their prize, he implemented the next phase of his elaborate deception. Deliberately running into a thorny bush, he scratched his face until it bled, creating convincing wounds across his muzzle and cheeks.
When he appeared before Lion in this battered state, the great cat was immediately alarmed. “Ah! What a wife you have got,” Jackal lamented dramatically. “Look how she scratched my face when I told her she should come with us! You must fetch her yourself, uncle. I simply cannot bring her after such treatment.”
Lion’s golden eyes blazed with fury at this perceived insult to his authority. Without another word, he stalked off toward home to deal with his supposedly rebellious mate.
The moment Lion disappeared, Jackal sprang into action. “Quick!” he called to his family. “We must build a tower!” Working with desperate efficiency, they heaped stone upon stone, stone upon stone, creating a tall, precarious structure. When it was high enough, they carried all their possessions and the remaining meat to the top, creating an impregnable fortress.
When Lion returned with his confused family in tow, his anger had been replaced by bewilderment when he found his wife as docile and obedient as always. Looking up at the stone tower, he called out to Jackal.
Jackal peered down with apparent enthusiasm. “Uncle! While you were away, we built this magnificent tower so that we might better spot game from afar!”
“Very clever,” Lion acknowledged, though his tone carried a note of suspicion. “But now let me come up to join you.”
“Certainly, dear uncle!” Jackal replied with feigned eagerness. “But how will you manage such a climb? We must lower a thong to help you ascend.”
Lion tied the leather rope securely around his powerful body, and Jackal began the arduous task of hauling up the massive cat. When Lion was nearly at the top, Jackal suddenly exclaimed, “My uncle, how terribly heavy you are!”
Unseen by his trusting victim, Jackal drew his knife and severed the thong. Lion plummeted to the ground with a tremendous crash that echoed across the landscape.
“Oh no!” Jackal cried out in apparent distress, while simultaneously scolding his wife in a voice loud enough for Lion to hear. “Wife, fetch me a new thong immediately!” But in a whisper meant only for her ears, he added, “Bring me an old, worn one.”
Despite his painful fall, Lion gamely tied himself to the second rope. Again, just as he neared the summit, Jackal cut the thong, sending the great cat crashing down even more heavily than before. Lion’s groans of pain echoed through the air as he lay injured at the base of the tower.
“This will never work,” Jackal observed with false sympathy. “However, you must at least come high enough to receive a proper meal as our honored guest.” Turning to his wife, he called out loudly, “Prepare the finest morsel for our beloved uncle!” But in a whisper, he instructed, “Heat a stone until it glows, then cover it with fat to disguise it.”
For the third time, Jackal began pulling Lion upward. As the exhausted cat approached the top, mouth open in anticipation of the promised feast, Jackal complained once more about the weight before hurling the scorching stone directly down Lion’s throat.
Lion crashed to the ground for the final time, writhing in agony and desperately pleading for water to ease his burning throat. But Jackal was already scrambling down the far side of the tower with his family, disappearing into the wilderness with their ill-gotten gains, leaving the once-mighty Lion defeated and alone.
Moral Lesson
This tale warns against the dangers of pride, gullibility, and misplaced trust. While Lion’s arrogance and assumption of superiority made him vulnerable to deception, Jackal’s cleverness ultimately triumphed through patience, planning, and the ability to exploit his opponent’s weaknesses. The story teaches that brute strength alone cannot overcome cunning intelligence, and that those who underestimate others based on size or status do so at their own peril.
Knowledge Check
Q1: What role does the Jackal play in South African folktales like “The Lion’s Share”? A: Jackal serves as the classic trickster figure in South African folklore, using intelligence and cunning to overcome stronger opponents. He represents the cleverness needed to survive in harsh conditions and often outsmarts more powerful animals through wit rather than strength.
Q2: What does the lion symbolize in this African folktale, and how does this relate to natural hierarchy? A: The lion symbolizes raw power, authority, and social dominance in the natural world. His defeat by the smaller jackal represents the triumph of intelligence over brute force and challenges assumptions about natural superiority based solely on size or strength.
Q3: What is the central moral lesson of “The Lion’s Share” folktale? A: The story teaches that pride and arrogance can lead to downfall, while intelligence and adaptability ensure survival. It warns against underestimating others and shows how those who rely solely on their status or strength can be vulnerable to clever manipulation.
Q4: What cultural values does this South African folktale reflect about survival and resourcefulness? A: The tale reflects the African cultural appreciation for wit, adaptability, and strategic thinking as essential survival skills. It values mental agility over physical dominance and suggests that in harsh environments, the clever and resourceful will ultimately prevail.
Q5: How does the tower-building scene demonstrate Jackal’s tactical intelligence in the story? A: The tower represents Jackal’s ability to think several steps ahead, creating both a defensive position and a trap. By building height advantage and controlling Lion’s access, Jackal demonstrates strategic planning that turns his physical disadvantage into a tactical superiority.
Q6: What does the phrase “Lion’s Share” mean, and how does this folktale subvert that concept? A: “Lion’s Share” traditionally means the largest or best portion, reflecting the lion’s status as king of beasts. This folktale subverts that expectation by showing how the jackal claims the actual lion’s share through deception, ultimately keeping all the benefits for himself despite Lion’s supposed dominance.
