Jackal married Hyena and stole a cow from the ants for their wedding feast. While cooking, Lion tried to join but was tricked and fatally burned by Jackal. When the ants arrived seeking their cow, Jackal fled, leaving Hyena to be beaten. Mistaking them for Jackal, Hyena confronted them but realized the truth too late and fled in panic, narrowly escaping.
Source
South-African Folk Tales
by James A. Honey, M.D.
New York,1910
► Themes of the story
Trickster: Jackal embodies the trickster archetype, using cunning and deceit to achieve his goals, such as stealing a cow from the ants and deceiving Lion.
Good vs. Evil: The story contrasts the malicious actions of Jackal against the more innocent characters, illustrating the classic struggle between malevolent and benevolent forces.
Revenge and Justice: The ants’ pursuit of their stolen cow and the subsequent beating of Hyena reflect themes of retribution and the pursuit of justice for wrongdoings.
► From the same Region or People
Jackal, it is said, married Hyena, and carried off a cow belonging to the ants, to slaughter her for the wedding; and when he had slaughtered her, he put the cowskin over his bride; and when he had fixed a pole (on which to hang the flesh), he placed on the top of the pole (which was forked) the hearth for the cooking, in order to cook upon it all sorts of delicious food. There came also Lion, and wished to go up. Jackal, therefore, asked his little daughter for a thong with which he could pull Lion up; and he began to pull him up; and when his face came near to the cooking-pot, he cut the thong in two, so that Lion tumbled down.
► Continue reading…
Then Jackal upbraided his little daughter with these words: “Why do you give me such an old thong?” And he added, “Give me a fresh thong.” She gave him a new thong, and he pulled Lion up again, and when his face came near the pot, which stood on the fire, he said, “open your mouth.” Then he put into his mouth a hot piece of quartz which had been boiled together with the fat, and the stone went down, burning his throat. Thus died Lion.
There came also the ants running after the cow, and when Jackal saw them he fled. Then they beat the bride in her brookaross dress. Hyena, believing that it was Jackal, said:
“You tawny rogue! have you not played at beating long enough? Have you no more loving game than this?”
But when she had bitten a hole through the cowskin, she saw that they were other people; then she fled, falling here and there, yet made her escape.
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