by W. H. I. Bleek · 1864
Fantasy · Classics
Animal fables and tales of the Khoikhoi peoples of southern Africa, in which the jackal plays the cunning trickster. Collected and translated by the German linguist Wilhelm Bleek, who compared them with the European tales of Reynard the Fox.
Content note: Published in 1864, the subtitle and notes use the word Hottentot for the Khoikhoi, which is now considered offensive.
JACKAL FABLES.
1. THE LION’S DEFEAT.
(The original, in the Hottentot language, is in Sir G. Grey’s Library, G. Krönlein’s Manuscript, pp. 19, 20.)
The wild animals, it is said, were once assembled at the Lion’s. When the Lion was asleep, the Jackal persuaded the little Fox1 to twist a rope of ostrich sinews, in order to play the Lion a trick. They took ostrich sinews, twisted them, and fastened the rope to the Lion’s tail, and the other end of the rope they tied to a shrub. When the Lion awoke, and saw that he was tied up, he became angry, and called the animals together. When they had assembled, he said (using this form of conjuration)—
“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 the little Fox, the little Fox said—
“I, child of my mother and father’s love,
I, mother and father’s love, have tied thee!”
Then the Lion tore the rope made of sinews, and ran after the little Fox. But the Jackal said—
