HOW THE CRAFTY JACKAL OUTSMARJED THE LIONS Illustration scon WATERHOUSE . NCE there was a Jac~al had pleaded. "Have had disappeared to. He did beautiful valley mercy' Do not eat me' Let me not realise a younger zebra O where trees of all lead you to this place , had taken the herd away and kinds grew, from pale greens please I" was declaring himself chief of to the darkest green So Lion fOllowed Jackal all the zebras and that he, imaginable. There were also over a long distance and was Zebra, was totally on his own. tall grasses, herbs and other guided to the pleasant valley. While Zebra was calling beautiful plants. It was called But Lion was a bit of a stupid out, the stupid Lion saw Zeb­ Fragrant Valley and was a . animal. He was old and tired ra 's teeth in his open mouth real paradise, a place of and wanted only a beautiful and Lion, who had never seen beauty. place in which to rest and a zebra before, was very Through the valley fiowed spend the last years of his life worried. a deep stream full of fishes of in peace. So he allowed "That animal has very big all kinds - red, blue, white and Jackal to guide him to the teeth," said Lion. "How can I brown fishes, frogs, eels and green valley, where they ar­ eat such a big animal? How tortoises . There were also rived at long last. can I kill it? It will bite my head waterbirds with long legs, All of a sudden Lion , who offl" cranes and others of their was by now very hungry, saw Jackal said: "Yes, Great kind. animals grazing far away - fat Lion, that is a very dangerous Parts of the valley were full antelopes and zebras - and animal, but I can help you of animals - zebra, impala, his mouth watered. But first bring it down." kudu, warthog and many he had to quench his thirst, so "Can you?" Lion asked others. It was truly a beautiful he went to the clean water of suspiciously. paradise. The birds and ani­ the stream and started drink­ "Yes, please, you have got mals lived in peace; nothing ing. When his stomach was to trust me'" disturbed them and nothing full he looked around with "Trust you l " said Lion. "I frightened them. stupid, bleary eyes and there, trust you about as much as a But one day two animals, a in the distance, he saw a field of com trusts a hailstorm large one and a small one, zebra grazing peacefully in - which is not at alII I am came into the valley - Jackal the forest. hungry, my stomach is and Lion. Many days p"rlipr "I am going to eat the~ JJilll,,;tling me. IllS cutting me Jackal had angered Lion in a animal," he said to Jackal. like a knife. I must have place far away and Lion had "Are you coming to help me?" something to eat." caught Jackal and had "Yes, Lion," Jackal said "Come, Great Lion," said wanted to devo ur him. But nervously. "I am going to help Jackal. "Listen - because you Jackal had pleaded with Lion you with the animal." are my king and my superior I to spare his life because he , They moved slowly, keep­ am going to go to the front of Jackal, knew of a beautiful ing low in the grass. They this animal. I must sacrifice valley where Lion would be at quietly crossed the stream by myself for your sake, my king. peace and where he would be stepping over rocks and soon I will seize this animal by the able to eat all the meat he . reached the other side. They front while you catch it from wanted. crept closer and closer to the behind. It is not dangerous "You are going to lead me grazing zebra. Then, just at from behind, it is only the front to this valley'" Lion had that moment, the zebra lifted of the animal whi ch is dan­ roared. "You are going to lake his head and made the zebra gerous." me to this place because if calling sign . "I can see that," said the you don't, and if this place "Zeee, zeee, zeee." stupid lion . "Well , let's gel to it doesn't exist, I am going to The zebra was lonely. He then. You go that side and I devour you'" wanted to find out where his " Have mercy, Lion'" relatives.,and many girlfriends (To page 82) 80 A48 husband? And how did you get They went to the eland who here?" she demanded. "You was Sitting under a tree chewing weren't trying to get away from Ihe cud . me, were you?" "Greetings. Eland," said the "Run away from you , my antelopes. lovely wife?" said Lion, blushing "Yes, my brolhers. what is it?" with guilt. "Why would I do a asked Eland. terrible thing like that? Lions "Great Brother. a couple of never desert their wives ." lions have come inlo our valley, "Don't you?" demanded Ka­ led here by Jackal. Now Jackal kaka . "What are you doing has run away and these lions are here?" having a field day eating us. We "Here? Well, I am about to have never been eaten by li ons punish that tricky little old before and someone must help scrawny Jackal who has fallen us gel rid of them." into that hole." "Who better than Jackal him­ "Is that so? You are still with selP" said Eland. "He who has your bad friends, still keeping bad done wrong musl be the one to company as usual, are you , my pul righllhal wrong. Llslen, my husband? I have come all this brothers, lei us ask the birds to long distance to stand at your help Let them find Jackal and side because a lioness never make him remove Ihese two lions deserts her husband and what do from our valley." I find? You playing tricks with a "Very well," said the ante­ jackal. Hey, what has happened lopes. to your face? Why is one of your The impala and the springbok eyes shut?" ran and ran untillhey came 10 the "A zebra kicked me," Lion bird called a sakabula, the one answered truthfully. with the long. beautiful lail feath­ "What? You, my husband, ers as black as the nighl They HOW THE CRAFTY JACKAL allowing a zebra to kick you? Are said: "Sakabula " you mad? Don't you know if you Sakabula said . "Yes, my want to ca tch a zebra you must brothers?" OUTSMARTED THE LIONS catch it by the head?" "We are looking for 8n animal "Jackal told me to catch it by called Jackal. We have been the hindquarters," said Lion advised by Eland Ihat only Jackal (From page 80) , "You tri cked mel" he roared. shamefacedly. can rid us of the Iwo lions which "You dare to trick me, the king of "Is that so? Let's do some­ are ea ting our people in the val­ all the animals l I am going to tear thing about this jackal right nowl" ley. tf we don't remove Ihese will go this side and when I signal yo u to pieces I Come here, you The lioness started digging lions they are going to finish us .. to you we must both seize the stupid vermin! I am really going to with her front paws. Down , down "Aah," said Sakabula. "you animal, you by the nose and I by show you l" she dug and Jackal screamed as have come 10 the right fellow. the hind legs'" Lion ran after Jackal and the lioness drew nearer and Li slen. I know where Jackal is. "Yes, Great One," said Jack­ Jackal ran around a tree with lion nearer to him . At long last she bul he is rather a shifty fellow and al, doing his best to hide a smile in full cry after him . Then he ran reached down into the hole and cunning too. I think we should of triumph. straight into the bush, but it was caught Jackal and threw him oul ca tch him - and I think I know Jackal went to the front of not Jackal's lucky day at all. As of the hole. how to do it." Zebra and Lion crept up from he ran past a great tree he fell Bahl So Sakabula took his plan to a behind. Then lion roared: "Let's straight into an antbear hole and, "He is all yours, my husband I" family of weaver bird s, who wove gol" With one bound Jackal before he could cli mb out, there Jackal screamed and begged a net out of very strong fibres. seized Zebra by one ear and lion,' was Lion standing above the for mercy and the lions would The nel was very big and made a tried to seize Zebra from behind . • hole. have dispatched him in style had very cu nning trap which they But wait - you and I know it is Jackal tried to smile his besl not Rhinoceros happened along. placed in front 01 the hole in which very dangerous to try to seize a smile. As you know, when the rhino is Jackal hid himself every day. zebra from behind. This is what "Heh-heh-heh!" angry there are few lions who can Jackal was sure the animals Lion learned now l "You dare to playa trick on tackle it. So Mr and Mrs Lion would never be 8ble to catch him Zeb ra screamed with anger me ?" roared Lion.