Long ago, when animals lived, spoke, and hunted much like people, there was a little Jackal who was as sharp-witted as he was quick on his feet. One day, while roaming the bush in search of food, Jackal crossed paths with the mighty Lion.
Lion, proud and strong, suggested they join forces for the day’s hunt. “Let us make an agreement,” he declared. “If we kill a small antelope, it shall be yours. But if it is a large animal, it belongs to me.”
Jackal nodded eagerly. “I agree, my father.”
Soon after, their arrows struck down a great eland, far larger than any small antelope. Lion was pleased. With a satisfied growl, he said, “Stay here, Jackal, while I continue the hunt. You must go to my home and call my children to carry this meat back.”
Jackal bowed his head politely, “Yes, my father, it will be done.” But the moment Lion turned his back, Jackal’s eyes gleamed with cunning. “Does he take me for a fool?” Jackal muttered. “Why should Lion’s children feast while my own starve?”
So Jackal ran, not to Lion’s den, but to his own. He called for his children, and together they carried the great eland up to their home, a safe refuge atop a tall, rocky cliff. The only way up was by a rope, which they pulled up after them. There they feasted, laughing at Lion’s gullibility.
The Lion’s Suspicion
When Lion returned home from his fruitless hunt, he asked his wife, “Where is the meat Jackal sent?”
His wife looked at him in confusion. “No meat has come, nor has Jackal been here. We are still hungry.”
Fury boiled in Lion’s chest. Realizing he had been tricked, he set off to find Jackal. But when he reached the rocky cliff, the steep walls blocked him. The only path up was the rope, and that had been pulled away. Powerless, Lion sat by the river below, waiting for his chance.
Not long after, Jackal came down to fetch water. The moment he bent to drink, Lion leapt forward. Jackal fled, his paws skimming the ground as Lion thundered after him. Jackal darted into a hollow beneath a tree, but Lion’s paw caught hold of his tail.
“You are mine at last!” roared Lion.
But Jackal, sly as ever, spoke calmly: “Ah, my father, you have made a mistake. That is no tail you hold, it is but a root of the tree. Strike it with a stone, and see if blood comes!”
Lion, suspicious but uncertain, released the tail and went to fetch a stone. In that instant, Jackal wriggled deep into the burrow, vanishing beyond reach. When Lion returned, the clever trickster was gone.
Escapes and Disguises
Lion lay in wait by the hole, determined not to be deceived again. But after many hours, Jackal peeked out cautiously. Not seeing Lion, he called boldly into the bush: “I see you, my master, though you hide!”
Lion, foolishly thinking his cover had not been discovered, stayed motionless. Jackal, reassured, slipped out and bounded away.
Another time, Lion finally cornered Jackal on the open plain. Certain there was no escape, Lion crouched to spring. But Jackal whispered quickly, “Shh, my father! Do you not see the bushbuck across the rock? Stay here, and I will drive it toward you.”
Hoping for prey, Lion obeyed. Jackal, of course, vanished into the thicket.
On yet another day, the animals gathered for a great meeting. Lion declared, “No one may attend who has no horns.” Jackal, clever as ever, raided a bees’ nest, fashioned horns out of wax, and proudly wore them to the gathering.
Seated near the fire, Jackal was safe until the wax melted. His disguise slipped away, and Lion recognized him at once. But before Lion could pounce, Jackal cried out: “Help! Help! The rock is falling!” He ran under an overhanging rock, and Lion, believing the cry, rushed to fetch a pole to prop it up. While Lion struggled, Jackal vanished again.
More Deceptions
Despite everything, Lion forgave Jackal, and they hunted once more. This time, they killed an ox. Lion divided the meat, telling Jackal to carry each portion to his wife.
First, he gave him the breast. Jackal carried it straight to his own wife. Next, Lion gave him a shin. This time Jackal carried it to Lion’s wife, who scolded him: “Do not bring this here. I do not eat shin.” Angered, Jackal struck her in the face before returning.
Piece by piece, Jackal tricked Lion until he had given all the best cuts to his own family. When Lion finally reached his home, he found his wife weeping. “Did you send Jackal to beat me and my children, and to mock me with bones? Did I ever eat shin?”
Lion’s rage burned hotter than ever. He stormed to Jackal’s cliffside home and demanded, “Let down the rope!”
From above, Jackal peered down with feigned innocence. “Who are you? What is your name? Whose son are you? Where do you come from, and where are you going?”
Lion growled back, “I am your master! Let down the rope!”
So Jackal lowered a rope made of mouse skins. Lion climbed, but halfway up the rope snapped, and he crashed to the ground, bruised and beaten. Limping and humiliated, Lion went home, while Jackal laughed from above, safe once again.
Moral of the Story
The tale of Lion and Little Jackal reminds us that wit and cleverness often triumph over brute strength. Deception may carry dangers, but quick thinking and resourcefulness can turn even the weakest into survivors against the strongest.
Knowledge Check
Q1: What was the original hunting agreement between Lion and Jackal?
A1: Small antelopes would belong to Jackal, while large animals would belong to Lion.
Q2: How did Jackal trick Lion with the eland meat?
A2: He called his own children, not Lion’s, to carry the meat home.
Q3: What clever trick helped Jackal escape when Lion caught his tail?
A3: He claimed it was a tree root and told Lion to test it with a stone.
Q4: How did Jackal disguise himself at the animals’ meeting?
A4: He made horns from beeswax and wore them until they melted near the fire.
Q5: What is the main lesson of the folktale?
A5: Cleverness and quick thinking can overcome brute force, but dishonesty can bring conflict.
Q6: Where does this folktale originate?
A6: It is an African folktale, passed down through oral tradition.
Source: South African folktale
