The Wicked Jackal - Part Three

The next morning as early as possible the jackal and the hedgehog went to the shepherd. 

The shepherd yawned and rubbed his eyes. He pointed at a tree a little further away where an animal was tied up. “You will find the sheep tied up to the tree. You can go and take him.” 

The two animals slowly bend to the tree and unfasten the cord typing the animal to the tree. 

The two animals then dragged the animal tied to the tree and took it back to the cave where they had slept.

When they had reached the cave, the jackal said to the hedgehog. “Before I kill the animal, let me see whether he is fat or thin.” 

The hedgehog studied the animal and seemed satisfied with what he saw. 

However the hedgehog noticed something else. The wool of the animal is indeed sheep wool but the paws of the animal looks like a greyhound. 

The jackal was however hungry and did not pay attention to the hedgehog's hesitation.

The jackal could not believe that the shepherd would even think of outsmarting him besides the jackal genuinely believed that he was the most cleverest of all.

The hedgehog wanted to study the animal closely and he handed over the cord of the animal to the jackal. “Hold this cord while I study the animal.” 

The jackal held the rope while the hedgehog walked around. 

By this time he was sure that the paws and the tail of the animal belonged to a greyhound. The hedgehog realized that the shepherd needed a whole day to cloth the greyhound as a sheep to fool the two animals. and that was why the shepherd had asked the two animals to come the next day.  

However the hedgehog was sure that the jackal would never believe him. 

So the hedgehog just shrugged at the jackal. “I am satisfied with what I saw but I will not eat this animal, first thing in the morning. I will go to the spring and quench my thirst and then come.” 

The hedgehog hurried off and ran as far away from the place as possible. 

The jackal waited for a while for the hedgehog to come back. 

Finally the jackal realized that the hedgehog was not coming back. 

The jackal did not pause to think about why his friend had run away. But the jackal was very hungry and he realized that he alone could feast on the sheep without giving any portion to the hedgehog.

Greedily, the jackal was about to jump on the back of the animal and bite the animal, when the jackal heard a low growl. 

In a flash the jackal ran as fast as possible away from the animal because he was sure that this animal was a greyhound. 

However the greyhound was faster than the jackal. 

The jackal realized that this shepherd had fooled him. But before he could act on it or even think about it, the greyhound reached the jackal and killed it. 

Thus ended the life of the wicked jackal.

Adapted from African folk tales