In the time when the African plains stretched endlessly under a merciless sun, a terrible drought descended upon the land like a curse from the heavens. Week after week, the blazing orb above showed no mercy, its scorching rays turning the once fertile earth into a cracked, barren wasteland. The mighty rivers that had flowed for countless generations began to shrink, their waters receding until only dry stones and dusty sand remained where life-giving streams once danced.
As the drought deepened, even the sacred springs that had never failed in living memory began to give up their precious gifts. One by one, these ancient sources of life dried to nothing more than empty holes in the ground. The situation grew desperate as animals of every size and kind wandered the parched landscape, their tongues hanging dry and their eyes scanning the horizon for any sign of water that might save them from certain death.
In this time of crisis, a great council was called. From every corner of the drought stricken realm came the most powerful and influential creatures: the mighty Lion with his golden mane, the fierce Tiger with her striped coat, the cunning Wolf with his sharp teeth, the sly Jackal with his pointed ears, and the enormous Elephant with his wise, ancient eyes. They gathered in a circle under the withering heat, their voices rising in urgent debate as they searched for a solution to their desperate plight.
The discussion grew heated as each animal proposed different plans. Some suggested traveling to distant lands in search of water, others recommended digging deeper wells, and a few even proposed raiding human settlements for their stored supplies. But none of these ideas seemed practical or promising given their dire circumstances and limited time.
Finally, as the debate reached its peak, one voice rose above the others with a suggestion that seemed both strange and inspired. “Come, my friends,” called out the speaker, “let all of us go to the dry river bed where our ancestors’ waters once flowed. There we shall dance with all our might and strength. Through our united dancing, we can tread the water back to the surface, calling it up from the deep places where it hides.”
The proposal was met with immediate enthusiasm. “Yes! Yes!” chorused the assembled animals. “We shall dance the water back to life!” The idea filled them with hope and energy, giving them something concrete to do in their hour of desperation. Every creature present was ready to begin the great water dance immediately.
All except one. Rabbit, who had been sitting quietly at the edge of the gathering, stood up and shook his head with obvious disdain. His voice carried clearly across the assembly as he declared, “I will not go and dance with you. You are all completely mad if you think you can get water from the ground by stamping around like fools.”
Despite Rabbit’s skepticism, the other animals proceeded with their plan. They made their way to the ancient river bed, where generations of their ancestors had come to drink in times of plenty. There, under the burning sun, they began their great dance. Lion roared as he pounded the earth with his massive paws, Tiger leaped and spun with fluid grace, Wolf howled as he jumped and stamped, Jackal yipped and darted in quick circles, and Elephant trumpeted as he brought his enormous feet down with earth shaking force.
Hour after hour they danced, their movements becoming a rhythm that seemed to pulse through the very ground beneath them. Sweat poured from their bodies, their muscles ached with exhaustion, but still they continued their desperate performance. And then, like a miracle born from their collective faith and effort, something wonderful happened. Water began to seep up through the packed earth, first as tiny droplets, then as small puddles, and finally as a clear, flowing stream.
The joy that erupted from the dancing animals was beyond description. They had done it! Through their united effort and determination, they had called the water back from its hiding place deep in the earth. Each creature drank deeply, savoring the cool, life giving liquid that tasted sweeter than honey after their long ordeal.
But their celebration was tempered by the memory of Rabbit’s refusal to participate. The animals looked at each other and made a decision that seemed only fair: since Rabbit had not contributed to the great dance, he should not be allowed to benefit from its results. “Rabbit shall have no water,” they declared firmly. “He mocked our efforts and refused to help, so he deserves nothing.”
When word of this decision reached Rabbit’s ears, he simply laughed at their declaration. “I will nevertheless drink some of your water,” he announced with characteristic boldness. “You cannot stop me from taking what I need.”
That very evening, as darkness fell across the land and the other animals slept in their various dwellings, Rabbit made his way leisurely to the river bed where the great dance had taken place. There he drank as much water as he wanted, savoring every drop while chuckling to himself at the cleverness of his plan. He had obtained the benefits of the others’ hard work without expending any effort of his own.
The following morning brought discovery and outrage. The animals arrived at their precious water source to find Rabbit’s distinctive footprints clearly visible in the soft mud around the water’s edge. Before they could fully comprehend what they were seeing, Rabbit’s voice rang out mockingly from a nearby hill: “Aha! I did have some of your water, and it was most refreshing and tasted absolutely wonderful!”
The fury that erupted among the animals was immediate and intense. How dare this impudent creature steal from their communal resource after refusing to contribute to its creation! They called an emergency assembly, their voices raised in angry debate about how to deal with this brazen theft.
Various punishment methods were proposed and argued over. Some suggested setting guards, others recommended building barriers, and a few even proposed violent retaliation. But none of these solutions seemed practical for catching such a clever and elusive creature as Rabbit.
It was then that old Tortoise, who had been listening quietly to all the heated discussions, began moving slowly forward. Step by deliberate step, he approached the center of the gathering. “I will catch Rabbit,” he announced in his calm, measured voice.
The reaction was immediate and skeptical. “You?” the other animals shouted in unison. “How could you possibly catch Rabbit? What do you think of yourself?” Their voices carried disbelief and even amusement at the idea that such a slow, seemingly helpless creature could succeed where others might fail.
But Tortoise had a plan, and he explained it with quiet confidence. “Listen carefully,” he said. “Cover my shell completely with pitch, that thick, sticky substance that traps anything that touches it. Then I will go to the edge of the water and lie down perfectly still. I will draw my head into my shell and remain motionless, so that I will look exactly like a large, dark stone that someone has conveniently placed there. When Rabbit steps on me to avoid getting his feet wet, he will stick fast to the pitch and become my prisoner.”
The brilliance of the plan was immediately apparent. “Yes! Yes! That’s perfect!” chorused the animals. In no time at all, they had covered every inch of Tortoise’s shell with thick, black pitch. Step by careful step, Tortoise made his way to the river’s edge, where he positioned himself close to the water and withdrew his head completely into his shell, becoming indistinguishable from a natural stepping stone.
That evening, as the moon rose over the African landscape, Rabbit approached the water for another night of unauthorized drinking. When he saw what appeared to be a perfectly placed stone at the water’s edge, he chuckled with sardonic appreciation. “Ha!” he said to himself. “After all their anger and threats, they are actually quite decent. Here they have thoughtfully placed a stone so that I need not get my feet unnecessarily wet.”
Without the slightest suspicion, Rabbit placed his left foot confidently on the supposed stone. Immediately, his foot stuck fast to the pitch covered surface. Tortoise chose that moment to extend his head from his shell, revealing the trap with quiet satisfaction.
“Ha! Old Tortoise!” exclaimed Rabbit, more surprised than concerned. “So it’s you who’s holding me, is it? Well, no matter. I still have another foot free, and I’ll give you a good solid blow for your trouble.”
True to his threat, Rabbit struck hard and straight with his right front foot, putting all his strength behind the blow. But the moment his foot contacted Tortoise’s shell, it too became stuck fast in the pitch.
“I still have a hind foot left,” declared Rabbit, his confidence beginning to waver slightly, “and with it I’ll kick you properly.” Down came his powerful hind foot, but it met the same fate as the others, sticking immediately to the treacherous surface.
Growing desperate now, Rabbit tried his remaining hind foot. “I have one more foot, and now I’ll really show you what I can do!” But this final foot also became trapped the moment it touched the pitch.
In his mounting panic, Rabbit began using every part of his body as a weapon. He hammered with his head, trying to knock Tortoise senseless, and lashed out with his tail like a whip. But both his head and tail became stuck to the pitch just like his feet, leaving him completely helpless and firmly attached to Tortoise’s shell.
With his prisoner secured, Tortoise began the slow but triumphant journey back to where the other animals waited. Step by deliberate step, he carried Rabbit on his back, moving with the steady determination that had made his plan so successful.
When the animals saw Tortoise approaching with his captive, their joy and amazement knew no bounds. “Ha! Ha! Ha! Look at Rabbit now!” they shouted in unison. “How does it feel to be caught at last? Your insolence certainly doesn’t pay after all!”
Now came the question of punishment. What should they do with this thief who had stolen from their communal resource? The consensus was clear: Rabbit must die for his crimes. But the method of execution became a matter of heated debate.
“Behead him!” suggested one animal. “Some other severe penalty!” called out another. The discussion grew intense as various forms of capital punishment were proposed and considered.
Finally, Lion stepped forward and addressed the prisoner directly. “Rabbit, since you must die for your crimes, how would you prefer that we kill you?”
Rabbit’s response was carefully calculated, delivered with just the right mixture of resignation and pleading. “It matters little to me how I die,” he said sadly. “I accept my fate. Only one thing I beg of you: please do not sentence me to a shameful death that would dishonor my memory.”
“And what death would that be?” demanded the animals, their curiosity piqued by this strange request.
“To be taken by my tail and have my head dashed against a stone,” replied Rabbit with a shudder of apparent revulsion. “That I pray and beseech you not to do. Such a death would be too humiliating and disgraceful for me to bear.”
The animals exchanged glances, and their decision was immediate and unanimous. “No, but that is exactly how you will die!” they declared with satisfaction. “That fate is decided and final!”
It was agreed that Rabbit would die by being swung by his tail and having his head smashed to pieces against a large stone. The question remained: who should carry out this execution? The obvious choice was Lion, being the most powerful among them. He was certainly strong enough to accomplish the task efficiently.
Lion stepped forward with regal authority, walked to where poor Rabbit waited, and took hold of the condemned prisoner. Rabbit pleaded and begged desperately, claiming that he couldn’t bear to die such a miserable and shameful death. But Lion was unmoved by these appeals.
The mighty king of beasts grasped Rabbit firmly by the tail and began to swing him around in preparation for the fatal blow. But at the crucial moment, something unexpected happened. The white outer skin of Rabbit’s tail slipped clean off in Lion’s powerful grasp, leaving the great cat standing there holding nothing but a bit of white fur and skin while Rabbit himself bounded away to freedom.
The escape was so sudden and complete that the stunned animals could only watch in amazement as their prisoner disappeared into the African wilderness, his laughter echoing back to mock their failed justice.
Moral Lesson
This African folktale teaches us about the complex relationship between individual cleverness and community cooperation. While Rabbit’s cunning allows him to benefit from others’ work and ultimately escape punishment, the story also shows that communities can achieve great things through united effort. However, it warns that those who refuse to contribute their fair share may face consequences, even if they’re clever enough to avoid them temporarily. The tale suggests that true wisdom lies in balancing individual intelligence with community responsibility.
Knowledge Check
Q1: What crisis brought all the animals together in this African folktale? A1: A frightful drought had struck the land, causing rivers to dry up and springs to stop flowing. All the animals were desperately seeking water but could find none anywhere, leading to the great gathering to find a solution.
Q2: How did the animals successfully obtain water in the story? A2: The animals went to a dry river bed and performed a great communal dance, stamping and treading on the ground with all their might. Through their united dancing effort, they managed to bring water back to the surface from deep underground.
Q3: Why was Rabbit denied access to the water initially? A3: Rabbit had refused to participate in the water dance, calling the other animals mad for thinking they could get water by dancing. Since he didn’t contribute to the effort that produced the water, the other animals decided he shouldn’t benefit from it.
Q4: What was Tortoise’s clever plan to capture Rabbit? A4: Tortoise had his shell covered with pitch (a sticky black substance) and positioned himself at the water’s edge, disguised as a stepping stone. When Rabbit stepped on him to avoid getting his feet wet, he became stuck to the pitch and couldn’t escape.
Q5: How did Rabbit escape his death sentence at the end? A5: Rabbit cleverly reverse psychology the animals by begging them not to kill him by swinging him by his tail and dashing his head against a stone. When Lion tried to execute him this way, Rabbit’s white tail skin slipped off in Lion’s grasp, allowing him to escape.
Q6: What does the water dance represent symbolically in African folklore? A6: The water dance represents the power of community cooperation and collective faith to overcome seemingly impossible challenges. It shows how united effort can achieve what individuals cannot accomplish alone, reflecting important African cultural values about communal work and shared responsibility during times of crisis.
