In the old days, when animals could speak with God and heaven felt closer to earth, there lived a hare whose wit was known across the wide lands of Senegal. This small creature had a sharp mind that helped him in many ways, enabling him to trick larger animals, find food during difficult times, and navigate the world of beasts with great skill.
Yet despite his natural intelligence and the respect it had earned him among his peers, the hare found himself consumed by an insatiable hunger for even greater mental powers. He spent long nights gazing up at the star-filled sky, dreaming of the wisdom he might possess if only his mind could be sharpened beyond its current limits. The more he contemplated the possibilities, the more convinced he became that his current intelligence, impressive as it was, represented merely a fraction of what he could achieve.
This burning desire for enhanced mental capacity eventually drove the hare to make an extraordinary decision. Summoning all his courage, he embarked upon a sacred journey to seek an audience with the Most High, the Creator of all living things. The path to the Divine presence was not one traveled lightly, yet the hare’s determination propelled him forward through landscapes both beautiful and treacherous until he finally stood before the awesome throne of God.
With deep reverence but unwavering resolve, the hare prostrated himself and presented his heartfelt petition. “Oh Almighty Creator,” he pleaded, his voice trembling with both respect and anticipation, “I beseech You to grant me greater intelligence than what I currently possess. I long to understand the deeper mysteries of existence and to use enhanced wisdom for the betterment of all creation.”
God, whose infinite wisdom encompassed all past, present, and future, gazed upon the small supplicant with knowing eyes. After a moment of divine contemplation, the Creator spoke in a voice that resonated through the very foundations of existence: “Your request may be granted, clever hare, but first you must prove your worthiness through the completion of three tasks. Only when you have succeeded in all three shall We consider your petition.”
The first challenge seemed deceptively simple: “Fill this goatskin bag with living birds,” God commanded, presenting the hare with a leather container of considerable size.
Armed with this divine assignment, the hare descended back to the earthly realm and positioned himself strategically beneath a magnificent acacia tree whose branches teemed with countless birds of every description. Colorful finches, melodious larks, chattering parrots, and dozens of other species filled the air with their songs and movements. Here was an abundance of exactly what he needed, yet the challenge lay not in their availability but in their capture.
Settling himself comfortably at the base of the tree, the hare began to weep with such convincing sorrow that his entire body shook with apparent grief. His wails and moans soon attracted the attention of the curious birds above, who fluttered down from branch to branch until several bold individuals approached close enough to inquire about his distress.
“Dear friend,” called out a particularly sympathetic sparrow, “why do you cry so bitterly? What great tragedy has befallen you?”
The hare looked up with tear-filled eyes and replied in a voice heavy with fabricated despair, “Oh, kind birds, I find myself in the most embarrassing of situations. I have made a foolish wager with another creature, boasting that your numbers are so vast that you could easily fill this entire goatskin bag. But now, seeing how few of you there actually are, I realize I have made a terrible mistake and will surely lose my bet.”
The birds erupted in indignant protests and delighted laughter. “Few of us?” they chorused. “Why, we are so numerous that we could fill ten such bags! Your wager is as good as won!”
Without further hesitation, the entire flock dove enthusiastically into the goatskin bag, each bird eager to prove the hare wrong about their numbers. The moment the last bird had squeezed inside, the hare swiftly tied the opening shut and secured his first prize.
Upon presenting the bag of birds to God, the hare received his second task: “Now you must fill this same container with vultures.”
This challenge proved equally susceptible to the hare’s cunning manipulation. Finding a suitable gathering place where vultures congregated, he employed the identical strategy of feigned sorrow and wounded pride. The proud scavengers, no less susceptible to flattery and competitive spirit than the smaller birds had been, fell for the same deception with remarkable ease. Soon the hare stood once again before the Divine presence, this time carrying a bag full of captured vultures.
God’s third and final command carried an ominous weight that sent shivers through the hare’s small frame: “Bring me the brain of an elephant.”
This task demanded not only cunning but also considerable courage, for elephants were among the most powerful and intelligent creatures in all of creation. The hare spent several days gathering dry grass and hay, binding it into convenient bundles while formulating his dangerous plan. Then he positioned himself along a well-worn elephant path and waited with the patience of a skilled hunter.
When a massive bull elephant eventually came thundering down the trail, the hare stepped forward with apparent nonchalance and called out cheerfully, “Good day, mighty one! I wonder if I might trouble you for transportation? I have this hay to carry, and your broad back would make the journey so much easier for these old bones.”
The elephant, secure in his power and seeing no threat in the tiny creature, agreed readily to the request. The hare quickly tied his bundles of hay to the elephant’s back and clambered up to sit comfortably among them. As they traveled together, the hare maintained pleasant conversation while secretly preparing for his treacherous act.
At the perfect moment, when they were far from any water source that might provide salvation, the hare struck flint to tinder and ignited the dry hay. Flames erupted instantly across the elephant’s back, and as the fire spread with terrifying speed, the hare leaped to safety and watched from a distance as the great beast perished in agony, unable to escape the inferno that consumed him.
Soon after, a herder happened upon the scene, drawn by the smell of smoke and the elephant’s dying cries. The hare approached this man with a carefully crafted story about finding the already-burning elephant and expressed deep concern about recovering the valuable brain before it too was damaged by the fire.
“Friend,” the hare said to the herder, “if you would use your axe to open this poor creature’s skull, we might at least salvage the brain, which has many useful properties. Surely such a tragedy should not be allowed to result in complete waste.”
The herder, seeing logic in this suggestion and perhaps hoping for some reward, obliged by splitting open the elephant’s massive skull with his sharp axe. The hare carefully extracted the brain and, with a heart swelling with pride at his successful completion of all three divine challenges, carried his grisly prize back to the heavenly throne.
Standing once more before God with the elephant’s brain held triumphantly in his small paws, the hare expected to receive the enhanced intelligence he had so desperately sought. Instead, he found himself facing a Divine countenance that radiated not approval but profound disappointment and righteous anger.
Without warning, God struck the hare firmly upon his forehead, the divine touch leaving an instant and permanent white mark upon his fur. As the hare reeled from this unexpected blow, God spoke with a voice that carried the weight of absolute judgment:
“Foolish creature, your request is denied forever. The intelligence you already possess has led you to commit acts of cruel deception and murder. You have shown that you care nothing for the suffering of others as long as your own desires are fulfilled. If I were to increase your mental powers as you have requested, you would use that enhanced cunning to bring harm not only to every creature in the animal kingdom but to mankind as well. The white mark upon your brow shall serve as an eternal reminder of this day and as a warning to all who see you of the dangers of intelligence without wisdom or compassion.”
From that moment forward, every hare born into the world has carried that distinctive white spot upon their forehead, a permanent testament to their ancestor’s ambition and the divine judgment it provoked. The mark serves as both a badge of shame and a cautionary symbol, reminding all who observe it that intelligence divorced from moral responsibility becomes not a blessing but a curse that threatens the very fabric of creation.
The Moral Lesson
This profound Wolof folktale teaches us that intelligence without wisdom and moral restraint is not only worthless but dangerous. The hare’s cleverness led him to commit acts of deception and murder simply to achieve his selfish goals, demonstrating that intellectual ability must be paired with compassion and ethical judgment. God’s refusal to grant the hare’s request shows us that true wisdom lies not in the accumulation of mental power but in understanding how to use our existing gifts responsibly. The permanent white mark serves as an eternal reminder that our actions have consequences and that we must consider the harm we might cause others in pursuit of our own ambitions.
Knowledge Check
Q1: Who are the main characters in this Wolof folktale from Senegal? A: The main characters are the ambitious hare who seeks greater intelligence, God who sets the three tasks, various birds and vultures who are tricked, an elephant who becomes a victim, and a herder who helps open the elephant’s skull.
Q2: What cultural origin does this folktale come from and what does it represent in Wolof tradition? A: This is a Wolof folktale from Senegal, West Africa. It represents traditional Wolof moral teachings about the relationship between intelligence, wisdom, and responsibility, emphasizing that cleverness without moral guidance leads to harmful consequences.
Q3: What three tasks does God give the hare to test his worthiness? A: God commands the hare to: 1) fill a goatskin bag with live birds, 2) fill the same bag with vultures, and 3) bring back the brain of an elephant. Each task tests the hare’s methods and moral character.
Q4: How does the hare trick the birds and vultures into the bag? A: The hare pretends to weep and tells them he made a wager claiming they were too few to fill the goatskin bag. Insulted by the suggestion of their small numbers, the birds and vultures eagerly fly into the bag to prove him wrong.
Q5: What does the white spot on the hare’s forehead symbolize in this story? A: The white spot represents divine judgment and serves as an eternal warning about the dangers of intelligence without moral responsibility. It marks the hare’s punishment for using his cleverness to harm others and stands as a reminder of the consequences of selfish ambition.
Q6: Why does God refuse to grant the hare increased intelligence? A: God refuses because the hare demonstrated that he would use enhanced intelligence harmfully, showing through his deception and murder of the elephant that he lacks the moral restraint necessary to wield greater mental power responsibly. God warns that increased intelligence would make the hare dangerous to all creatures, including mankind.
