The clever Jackal was looking around the forest and he was sniffing for a prey. Jackal hoped that he would find a rabbit or at least a lizard today. But Jackal had no such luck. He walked through the meadow and the grass and he was looking under the rocks of the mountain, and still… no luck.
That was when Jackal was shocked. He smelt something big. Something dangerous. Alarmed Jackal turned and saw Bhubhesi, the Lion ramble towards the exact spot that Jackal was there.
For a second Jackal panicked.
Jackal was always a clever one. In the past too, to escape Bhubhesi, Jackal had played many tricks on the lion. Now Jackal was afraid. He was sure that if Bhubhesi found him here, alone and hungry, Bhubhesi would take revenge on him.
For a second, Jackal looked around and saw the rocky mountains and wondered what to do. There was no way out and Jackal could not escape Bhubhesi.
Suddenly Jackal grinned.
He threw himself against the rocky walls and called out.
“Great Lion! Help!” Jackal panted and looked like he was pushing against the rocky mountain. “I cannot hold the rock up. It is going to fall on us.” Jackal panted some more as Bhubhesi saw the rocks above. “Please Lion, use your great strength and help me. Or the rocks would fall on us and crush us.”
Bhubhesi looked at the panting Jackal and then at the rocks. Bhubhesi realized that Jackal needed the strength of the magnificent Lion and felt proud as he fell on the rock and pushed it.
“I will hold it up.” Bhubhesi told the Jackal. “I am strong.”
Jackal fell back and he was taking deep breaths. “Thank you All-Powerful Lion. You saved us.” The Jackal looked around and nodded. “I will find a log to keep the rocks up, so that the rocks do not fall on us.” Jackal looked earnestly at the Lion. “Please hold up the rocks till then, o great Lion.”
Bhubhesi’s heart swelled as he nodded.
Jackal smiled at the foolish lion and disappeared from there, thanking his stars.
Bhubhesi held up the rocks for a long time and that was when he realized that he had been fooled by the clever Jackal and the lion was disgruntled with it. But there was nothing that the lion could do about it, because Jackal had escaped and he had again proved that he was the most clever animal of all.
-African Folk Stories
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