Once, in the wide plains where the sun burned golden over the tall grass and the wind carried the scent of earth after rain, a lion and a hyaena journeyed together as companions. They had walked many paths side by side, but trust between them was thin, for the lion was proud and greedy while the hyaena was fearful and cautious. One day, as they traveled, fortune seemed to smile upon them: the lion discovered a strong bull, while the hyaena found a cow heavy with pregnancy. They rejoiced at their good luck, and the two beasts placed the bull and the cow together, leaving the hyaena to tend them with care.
The hyaena watched faithfully until the time came when the cow was about to give birth. At that moment, the lion stepped forward with an order:
“Stay home today,” he said. “I shall take them out to graze.”
The hyaena’s heart trembled. He knew his cow would soon bring forth a calf, yet he was too afraid of the lion’s authority to refuse. So he remained behind while the lion drove the bull and the cow into the fields.
As expected, the cow gave birth to a healthy calf. But the lion, overcome by greed, schemed to claim it as his own. He took the afterbirth and forced it into the rear of his bull, making it appear as though the bull had birthed the calf. Then, to further disguise his theft, he let the newborn drink from its mother only in the pasture so that the hyaena would never see it nursing.
That evening, the lion returned with pride gleaming in his eyes.
“See!” he roared. “My bull has given birth to a calf. Here is the proof, the placenta!”
The hyaena shook his head, bewildered. “But can a bull give birth like a cow?”
The lion snarled, his mane bristling. “Yes, it can! Doubt me again, and I shall kill you!”
Terrified, the hyaena swallowed his protest. Tears streamed down his face as he cowered in silence. The next morning, the lion seized the calf, the bull, and even the cow, driving them all away. The hyaena, left behind, sat in misery, weeping bitterly.
As he sobbed, a clever fox approached.
“What troubles you, hyaena?” asked the fox.
Through tears, the hyaena explained, “My cow bore a calf, but the lion claimed his bull gave birth instead. He took the calf and my cow from me.”
The fox narrowed his eyes and nodded. “Be silent. Do not weep. Tomorrow, I will force the lion to return what is yours.”
The following day, the lion and the hyaena were together when the fox appeared, carrying a water-skin on his back. The lion called out, “Where are you going, son of the fox?”
With a straight face, the fox replied, “Last night, my father gave birth to a baby boy. I go now to fetch milk for his childbed.”
The lion roared with laughter. “Does a man give birth like a woman?”
The fox snapped back, “If a man cannot give birth like a woman, then why claim that your bull bore a calf? Return to the hyaena what you have stolen.”
At once, the lion’s pride turned to rage. He lunged at the fox, claws outstretched. But the fox was swift, darting away into the wilderness.
Still seething, the lion devised a new plan. He crawled into the fox’s den, determined to catch him by surprise. That evening, as the fox returned, he noticed the pawprints around the entrance of his hole. His keen eyes caught what others might have missed.
“Ah,” he muttered, “perhaps the lion hides within my home.”
Standing at the entrance, he called out:
“Good evening, my house!”
There was silence. He repeated the greeting. “Good evening, my house! Before, you always answered, ‘May his evening be good!’ Why do you not speak now?”
The lion, thinking himself clever, disguised his voice and rumbled, “May his evening be good!”
The fox laughed sharply. “You are no house, you are the lion!” And with that, he fled before the lion could catch him.
Frustrated and defeated, the lion slunk back to the hyaena. At last, he surrendered the calf and the cow, unable to deny the truth any longer. By wit and cunning, the fox had restored justice to the hyaena.
And so, to this day, people say: “Give the hyaena her calf, said the fox.”
Moral Lesson
This Tigrean folktale from Eritrea teaches that brute strength and greed cannot withstand the sharp edge of wisdom. The lion, though powerful, was blinded by arrogance and lost what he tried to steal. The fox, using clever words and quick wit, revealed the absurdity of the lion’s lies and forced him to return the calf.
It is a reminder that cunning intelligence, guided by justice, is a weapon stronger than pride. Those who exploit others will eventually be exposed, for truth finds its way through even the cleverest disguises.
Knowledge Check
Who were the main characters in the story?
The lion, the hyaena, and the fox.
What did the lion falsely claim?
That his bull had given birth to the calf.
How did the fox outwit the lion?
By claiming his father gave birth, forcing the lion to admit bulls cannot calve.
What proverb came from this tale?
“Give the hyaena her calf, said the fox.”
What lesson does the story teach?
That wisdom and cunning can defeat greed and power.
What is the cultural origin of this tale?
Tigrean folktale, Eritrea.
Source: Tigrean folktale, Eritrea.
