(Addressing her young ones, on her return from a marauding
expedition, with regard to the perils she had encountered).
The fire threatens,
The stone threatens,
The assegais threaten,
The guns threaten,
Yet you seek food from me.
My children,
Do I get anything easily?
Once upon a time a Jackal, who lived on the borders of the colony, saw
a waggon returning from the seaside laden with fish. He tried to get
into the waggon from behind, but he could not; he then ran on before,
and lay in the road as if dead. The waggon came up to him, and the
leader cried to the driver, “Here is a fine kaross for your wife!”
“Throw it into the waggon,” said the driver, and the Jackal was thrown
in.
The waggon travelled on through a moonlight night, and all the while
the Jackal was throwing the fish out into the road; he then jumped out
himself, and secured a great prize. But a stupid old Hyena coming by,
ate more than her share, for which the Jackal owed her a grudge; so he
said to her, “You can get plenty of fish, too, if you lie in the way of
a waggon as I did, and keep quite still whatever happens.”
“So!” mumbled the Hyena.
Accordingly, when the next waggon came from the sea, the Hyena
stretched herself out in the road.
“What ugly thing is this?” cried the leader, and kicked the Hyena. He
then took a stick and thrashed her within an inch of her life. The
Hyena, according to the directions of the Jackal, lay quiet as long as
she could; she then got up and hobbled off to tell her misfortune to
the Jackal, who pretended to comfort her.
“What a pity,” said the Hyena, “that I have not such a handsome skin as
you!”