In the highlands of Tigray, Ethiopia, there lived a clever fox with her two young cubs. She named one Weynai, meaning not too bright, not too black, and the other Gella. Every day, the fox would leave the cubs safely inside her small den while she went to the fields to gather food. Before leaving, she would carefully close the door behind her, making sure the cubs were secure.
Upon returning, she would call in her gentle, familiar voice:
“One Weynai, One Gella, open the door for me.”
Her cubs, hearing the voice, would obediently open the door, and she would return with food and warmth.
One fateful day, a sly hyena, lurking nearby, overheard the fox calling her cubs. The next time the fox went out, the hyena crept to the den and imitated her voice. At first, the cubs hesitated, sensing something was different. But the hyena, cleverer than the cubs imagined, altered his voice, making it thinner and more like their mother’s. Believing it was their mother, the cubs opened the door.
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In an instant, the hyena lunged, devouring the innocent cubs.
When the fox returned and called her usual greeting, no answer came. Alarmed, she leapt into the den, and her worst fears were confirmed: her cubs were gone. Anger and sorrow filled her heart, but she knew she had to act wisely to confront the hyena.
The next day, the fox devised a cunning plan. She dug a deep hole in the ground and cleverly covered it with a goatskin, making it appear solid. She then prepared a delicious sheep as bait and invited the hyena to share it.
“Come, eat with me,” she called in her sweetest voice.
The hyena, greedy and unsuspecting, approached. The fox instructed, “Sit on the goatskin.”
The hyena noticed the goatskin sag slightly over the hidden pit. “It is nothing,” she said soothingly. “Sit there, and enjoy the meal.”
Trusting the fox and driven by hunger, the hyena sat, and instantly plunged into the deep hole. The fox, swift and unyielding, poured boiling water into the pit, ensuring that the hyena would no longer harm her or any other creature. Her cleverness had avenged her cubs and restored safety to the forest.
Moral Lesson
Mother Fox and the Hyena teaches that intelligence and careful planning can overcome brute strength and deceit. When faced with loss or injustice, patience and cunning are often more powerful than anger or force. Wisdom, foresight, and courage can protect the innocent and bring justice to those who deserve it.
Knowledge Check: Mother Fox and the Hyena
What were the names of the fox’s cubs, and what did Weynai mean?
The cubs were Weynai and Gella. Weynai means “not too bright, not too black.”
How did the hyena trick the fox’s cubs?
The hyena imitated the fox’s voice, first failing but then making it thinner to sound like their mother.
What clever method did the fox use to trap the hyena?
She dug a pit, covered it with goatskin, and lured the hyena to sit on it while she poured boiling water on him.
What lesson does the story teach about responding to deceit?
Cleverness and careful planning are more effective than acting in anger when confronting trickery.
Why did the hyena fail despite being strong?
Because he underestimated the fox’s intelligence and overestimated his own cunning.
How does this folktale reflect Ethiopian storytelling traditions?
It emphasizes animals as moral characters, teaches a clear lesson, and highlights cleverness over brute force, typical of Tigray oral folktales.
Cultural Origin: Tigray Folktale, Ethiopia
