Jackal and Wolf became servants to a man. Jackal ate the man’s fat at night but smeared some on Wolf’s tail to frame him. In the morning, the man accused Jackal, but Jackal blamed Wolf, pointing to the fat on his tail. The man believed Jackal and severely beat Wolf, leaving him nearly dead.
Source
South-African Folk Tales
by James A. Honey, M.D.
New York,1910
► Themes of the story
Cunning and Deception: The Jackal deceitfully frames the Wolf by smearing fat on his tail, leading the man to believe the Wolf is guilty of eating the fat.
Good vs. Evil: The narrative contrasts the Jackal’s malicious actions with the Wolf’s innocence, highlighting the struggle between deceit and honesty.
Moral Lessons: The tale imparts a lesson about the consequences of dishonesty and the importance of integrity.
► From the same Region or People
Jackal and Wolf went and hired themselves to a man to be his servants. In the middle of the night Jackal rose and smeared Wolf’s tail with some fat, and then ate all the rest of it in the house. In the morning the man missed the fat, and he immediately accused Jackal of having eaten it.
“Look at Wolf’s tail,” said the rogue, “and you will see who is the thief.” The man did so, and then thrashed Wolf till he was nearly dead.
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