Jackal Dove And Heron

: South-african Folk-tales

Jackal, it is said, came once to Dove, who lived on the top of a rock,

and said, "Give me one of your little ones."



Dove answered, "I shall not do anything of the kind."



Jackal said, "Give me it at once! Otherwise, I shall fly up to you."

Then she threw one down to him.



He came back another day and demanded another little one, and she gave

it to him. After Jackal had gone, Hero
came, and asked, "Dove, why do

you cry?"



Dove answered him, "Jackal has taken away my little ones; it is for this

that I cry." He asked her, "In what manner did he take them?" She

answered him, "When he asked me I refused him; but when he said, 'I

shall at once fly up, therefore give me it,' I threw it down to him."



Heron said, "Are you such a fool as to give your young ones to Jackal,

who cannot fly?" Then, with the admonition to give no more, he went

away.



Jackal came again, and said, "Dove, give me a little one." Dove refused,

and told him that Heron had told her that he could not fly up. Jackal

said, "I shall catch him."



So when Heron came to the banks of the water, Jackal asked him: "Brother

Heron, when the wind comes from this side, how will you stand?" He

turned his neck towards him and said, "I stand thus, bending my neck on

one side." Jackal asked him again, "When a storm comes and when it

rains, how do you stand?" He said to him: "I stand thus, indeed, bending

my neck down."



Then Jackal beat him on his neck, and broke his neck in the middle.



Since that day Heron's neck is bent.



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