Long, long ago, when the world was still young and animals could speak as clearly as humans do today, there lived a small creature in the deep jungle who looked exactly like his cousin, the Squirrel. This little animal, whom we now know as the Chipmunk, had no distinguishing marks upon his tiny brown coat, no stripes, no patterns, nothing to set him apart from the other small creatures of the forest.
The jungle in those ancient days was a magnificent place, filled with towering trees whose branches formed a green cathedral overhead. Colorful birds sang from every perch, and the air was sweet with the fragrance of tropical flowers. But this particular year, the rainy season had been unlike any other the animals could remember.
Day after day, torrential rains pounded the forest floor. The downpour was so intense and relentless that it seemed as though the very sky was emptying itself upon the earth. Rivers swelled beyond their banks, and the lush vegetation grew so thick and tangled that what were once clear paths through the jungle became impassable walls of green.
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The animals found themselves trapped in their own homes, unable to move freely through the forest they had known and loved all their lives. Elephant could barely push through the dense undergrowth with his massive frame. Lion struggled to patrol her territory as thorny vines blocked her usual routes. Even the nimble Antelope found herself stumbling through the overgrown maze that had once been familiar trails.
Recognizing that this crisis affected them all, the wise elders called for a great meeting in the largest clearing they could still access. Animals from every corner of the jungle gathered, some crawling through gaps in the vegetation, others struggling to push aside the heavy curtains of leaves and vines that had claimed their pathways.
The ancient Tortoise, respected for his wisdom and experience, addressed the assembly with a voice heavy with concern. “My friends,” he said, his weathered eyes surveying the crowd, “we cannot continue living like prisoners in our own forest. These paths must be cleared, but it will require great effort and resources. We must work together.”
After much discussion and debate, the animals reached a unanimous decision. Every creature that walked, crawled, or ran along the ground would contribute cowrie shells, the precious currency of the time, to fund the enormous task of clearing the jungle paths. The birds, who could soar freely above the tangled mess below, would be exempt from this tax, as they had no need of the ground-level passages.
One by one, the animals nodded their agreement and began calculating how much they could contribute. But then, a small, defiant voice piped up from near the base of a mahogany tree.
“I will pay no tax!” declared the Chipmunk, his tiny chest puffed out with stubborn pride. His voice, though small, carried clearly through the humid jungle air. “Even if it means I never walk on the ground again, I refuse to pay a single cowrie shell!”
The other animals stared in disbelief. Here was this tiny creature, no bigger than a man’s fist, showing more stubbornness than even the legendary Mule. But the Chipmunk was determined. Without another word, he scampered up the nearest tree and began his new life among the branches.
From that day forward, the little creature became a master of aerial navigation. He leaped with remarkable agility from branch to branch, his small claws gripping bark and leaves as he bounded through his elevated world. Never once did his tiny feet touch the earth below.
“He’s sure to come down sooner or later,” muttered Buffalo, shaking his great horned head. “Then he will have to pay the tax like the rest of us.”
But days turned into weeks, and still the Chipmunk remained aloft. Even as the other animals began the backbreaking work of clearing paths, cutting through vines, moving fallen logs, and trampling down the overgrowth, the little creature continued his tree-top existence, watching smugly from above.
The famously cunning Tortoise paid his share without complaint. The proud Lion contributed generously. Even the smallest ants pooled their resources to help with the community effort. But the Chipmunk remained stubbornly in his aerial kingdom.
As time passed, many of the animals began to feel pity for their small neighbor. “Perhaps he truly has no money,” whispered Gazelle to her friends. “Why else would he condemn himself to such a lonely, difficult life?”
“It pains my heart to see one of our ground-dwelling brothers reduced to living like a bird,” sighed Elephant, his great eyes filled with compassion.
Moved by their concern for what they believed to be the Chipmunk’s poverty, the kind-hearted animals organized a collection. They placed a beautiful painted gourd beneath the mighty Iroko tree, the most sacred tree in their forest. Any animal who wished to help their struggling neighbor could drop cowrie shells into the gourd until there were enough to pay the Chipmunk’s tax.
One by one, the generous creatures contributed. Antelope brought shells she had saved for her children’s future. Monkey offered cowries he had planned to use for special treats. Even the smallest creatures, like the industrious Dung Beetles, rolled their precious coins to the collection gourd.
When a friendly Parrot told the Chipmunk about this act of community kindness, the little creature nearly fell from his branch with laughter.
“You mean they have nothing better to do with their money than pay my tax?” he chuckled, his whiskers twitching with amusement and greed. An evil plan began forming in his crafty mind.
That very night, when the jungle was dark and still, and all the other animals were fast asleep in their homes, the Chipmunk made his way silently through the treetops to the sacred Iroko tree. Like a shadow, he climbed down and seized the gourd filled with the generous contributions of his neighbors. Without a moment’s hesitation or guilt, he disappeared into the darkness with their hard-earned cowrie shells.
The next morning, when the animals discovered their terrible loss, grief and anger filled the jungle air. The betrayal cut deep into their hearts, they had tried to help a friend in need, only to be robbed by the very one they sought to assist.
“Catch him!” roared Lion, her golden mane bristling with fury.
But the Chipmunk was too quick and clever. He bounded from tree to tree faster than any pursuer could follow, his laughter echoing mockingly through the canopy as he escaped their reach time and time again.
With heavy hearts, the animals made a decision that brought no joy to any of them. The Chipmunk had violated the most sacred trust of their community, he had taken advantage of their kindness and compassion. Such behavior could not be tolerated in their peaceful society.
“You are banished from this jungle forever!” declared Tortoise, his ancient voice filled with sadness and disappointment. “You have shown that you cannot be trusted to live among decent creatures.”
And so the Chipmunk found himself exiled from the only home he had ever known. With nowhere else to go, he made his way to the edges of the forest where humans lived, becoming one of the first wild animals to dwell near human settlements.
Many seasons later, during one of their regular community meetings, an animal asked the question that had puzzled them all: “Does anyone know what the Chipmunk did with our stolen money?”
Old Tortoise, who seemed to know everything that happened in the forest and beyond, nodded slowly. “I heard from the birds who fly far and wide,” he said with a mixture of sadness and disgust. “He never put those cowrie shells to any good use. Instead, he spent them all on decorative stripes for his coat, thinking they would make him appear more important and distinguished.”
All the animals shook their heads in pity and disappointment, understanding finally how vanity and selfishness had corrupted their former neighbor’s heart.
Moral Lesson
This timeless folktale teaches us that selfishness and greed ultimately lead to isolation and loss. The Chipmunk’s refusal to contribute to his community, followed by his betrayal of their trust and kindness, resulted in his permanent exile from the home he loved. His ill-gotten stripes serve as a reminder that true worth comes from good character and community spirit, not from external appearances or material possessions acquired through dishonest means.
Knowledge Check
Q1: Why did the animals need to collect money in the story? A: The heavy rains caused the jungle vegetation to grow so thick that the forest paths became impassable. The animals needed funds to clear these pathways so they could move freely through their forest home.
Q2: What does the Chipmunk’s refusal to pay taxes symbolize in this African folktale? A: The Chipmunk’s tax avoidance represents selfishness and unwillingness to contribute to the common good of the community, highlighting the importance of civic responsibility in traditional African societies.
Q3: How did the other animals show kindness to the Chipmunk, and what was the result? A: The animals, believing the Chipmunk was too poor to pay his tax, collected cowrie shells in a gourd to help him. The Chipmunk betrayed this kindness by stealing their generous donations under cover of darkness.
Q4: What is the significance of cowrie shells in this West African folktale? A: Cowrie shells were historically used as currency in many West African societies, making this detail an authentic cultural element that reflects the traditional economic systems of the region.
Q5: Why was the Chipmunk banished from the jungle community? A: The Chipmunk was exiled because he violated the community’s trust by stealing the money they had generously collected to help him, demonstrating that he could not be trusted to live among honest animals.
Q6: What do the Chipmunk’s stripes represent in the moral lesson of this folktale? A: The stripes symbolize vanity and superficial appearances gained through dishonest means. They serve as a permanent reminder that external beauty or distinction means nothing without good character and integrity.
