Long ago, in the vast landscapes of Southern Africa, a story unfolded between three very different creatures: Jackal, Dove, and Heron. Each of them carried their own strengths and weaknesses, but their interactions would leave behind lessons, and even a physical reminder of deception, that remain alive in the telling of this tale.
One day, Jackal came prowling near a tall rock. At its peak lived Dove, tending carefully to her nest and guarding her little ones. With sly eyes fixed upward, Jackal called out, “Dove, give me one of your young ones!”
Startled and protective, Dove cried back, “I shall do no such thing. These are my children.”
But Jackal, always cunning, threatened, “Give me one at once, or I shall fly up and snatch it from you myself!”
Fearing his words, Dove trembled. Though she knew Jackal could not fly, the thought of his anger terrified her. In her panic, she tossed one of her chicks down from the safety of her nest. Jackal caught it greedily and went away satisfied.
A few days later, Jackal returned. With the same demand, he barked, “Dove, give me another of your little ones!” Terrified once more, Dove complied and dropped another chick to him. When Jackal left again, Dove sat upon her rock, weeping bitterly for her lost children.
It was then that Heron arrived, his long legs striding gracefully toward the rock. Seeing Dove’s tears, he asked with concern, “Dove, why do you cry?”
Through sobs, she answered, “Jackal has taken away my little ones, and I am powerless to stop him.”
Heron tilted his head curiously. “Tell me, in what way did he take them from you?”
Dove explained, “When I refused him, he threatened me. He said, ‘I shall fly up to you, so give me your chick at once.’ Believing him, I threw them down.”
Heron burst out in astonishment. “Are you so foolish, Dove, as to give your young ones to Jackal, an animal who cannot fly? How could he possibly reach you in the sky?”
Embarrassed, Dove lowered her head. Heron, though firm in his words, meant no cruelty. He was teaching her to see through fear and not to give in so easily. “Give him no more,” he advised, before spreading his wings and flying away.
Not long after, Jackal returned once again to Dove’s rock. He repeated his demand, but this time Dove refused. Standing her ground, she declared, “I shall give you no more chicks, for Heron has told me you cannot fly to reach me!”
Enraged, Jackal’s sharp teeth bared in anger. “Heron has betrayed me,” he growled. “I shall catch him!”
Soon after, Jackal sought out Heron near the water’s edge. The sly predator greeted him with mock friendliness, saying, “Brother Heron, when the wind blows from one side, how do you stand?”
Heron, unsuspecting, demonstrated. He stretched his long neck and bent it gracefully to the side.
Jackal nodded thoughtfully, then asked, “And when the storms arrive, with rain pouring down, how do you stand then?”
Heron, still unaware of Jackal’s trickery, bent his neck downward in demonstration, mimicking how he braced himself in harsh weather.
At that moment, Jackal struck. With a swift and brutal blow, he beat Heron on his long neck, snapping it in the middle. From that day onward, Heron’s neck remained forever bent.
Moral of the Story
This tale warns us of two dangers: fear that makes us give in too easily, and cunning deceit that preys on innocence. Dove’s blind terror led her to sacrifice what was dearest, while Heron’s unsuspecting trust left him vulnerable to harm. The lesson is clear: courage and wisdom must walk hand in hand, for fear and naivety only feed the cunning.
Knowledge Check
Q1: Who demanded Dove’s chicks in the story?
A: Jackal, using fear and threats, demanded Dove’s young ones.
Q2: Why did Dove give up her chicks even though Jackal cannot fly?
A: Dove acted out of fear and believed Jackal’s false threats.
Q3: What advice did Heron give Dove?
A: Heron told Dove to stop giving her chicks away, since Jackal could not fly.
Q4: How did Jackal trick Heron?
A: Jackal asked Heron to demonstrate how he stood in the wind and rain, then attacked his neck.
Q5: Why does Heron’s neck remain bent, according to the folktale?
A: Because Jackal broke it, leaving a permanent mark of deceit.
Q6: What is the key moral lesson of this tale?
A: The story teaches that fear and naivety invite exploitation, but courage and wisdom protect against trickery.
Source: South African Folktale
