The animals once gathered at Lion’s. While Lion slept, Jackal tricked Little Fox into tying Lion’s tail to a shrub with ostrich sinews. When Lion awoke, he angrily interrogated the animals. All denied guilt except Little Fox, who confessed. Lion broke free and chased Little Fox but failed to catch him, proving Jackal’s boast of Little Fox’s speed. Lion was defeated.
Source
South-African Folk Tales
by James A. Honey, M.D.
New York,1910
► Themes of the story
Trickster: Jackal plays the role of the cunning trickster by persuading Little Fox to tie Lion’s tail, leading to Lion’s embarrassment.
Good vs. Evil: The narrative contrasts the mischievous yet harmless intentions of the animals against Lion’s potential for violence, illustrating the struggle between opposing forces.
Moral Lessons: The tale imparts lessons about the consequences of pride and the value of intelligence over physical power.
► From the same Region or People
The wild animals, it is said, were once assembled at Lion’s. When Lion was asleep, Jackal persuaded Little Fox to twist a rope of ostrich sinews, in order to play Lion a trick. They took ostrich sinews, twisted them, and fastened the rope to Lion’s tail, and the other end of the rope they tied to a shrub. When Lion awoke, and saw that he was tied up, he became angry, and called the animals together. When they had assembled, Lion said (using this form of conjuration):
► Continue reading…
“What child of his mother and father’s love,
Whose mother and father’s love has tied me?”
Then answered the animal to whom the question was first put:
“I, child of my mother and father’s love,
I, mother and father’s love, I have not done it.”
All answered the same; but when he asked Little Fox, Little Fox said:
“I, child of my mother and father’s love,
I, mother and father’s love, have tied thee!”
Then Lion tore the rope made of sinews, and ran after Little Fox. But Jackal said:
“My boy, thou son of lean Mrs. Fox, thou wilt never be caught.”
Truly Lion was thus beaten in running by Little Fox.
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Dreamtime Whispers 