THE JACKAL AND THE KITE
by Maive Stokes
The Kite and the Jackal
Once upon a time, there was a tree. It was a big, big tree. Kite lived at the top. Jackal lived at the bottom. They were neighbors. They both wanted babies very much.
One day, Kite said, "Let us be good. Ask God for babies!" "Yes!" said Jackal. "I will be good!" But Jackal broke her promise. At night, she was not good. Kite kept her promise. Kite was very good.
That night, Kite heard a sound. "What is that noise?" Kite asked. "It is nothing," Jackal said. But Jackal told a lie. She was not being good.
Time passed. God gave Kite seven little birds! One, two, three, four, five, six, seven! Kite was so happy. She loved her babies. She held them close. But Jackal had no babies. Jackal was sad. And Jackal was angry.
Kite was very kind. She made food for Jackal. Good, warm food. "Take this to your aunty," she said. The little birds brought food to Jackal. They smiled at Jackal. They were kind.
But mean Jackal took the little birds. She made them disappear. She hid them far away. Poor Kite could not find her babies. "Where are my babies?" Kite cried. Kite was very, very sad.
But God saw everything. God helped. He brought the seven little birds back home! They ran to their mama. "Mama! Mama! We are back!" Kite held them close. She was so happy. So very happy.
Jackal was very angry. "I will send them away!" Jackal said. "They will never come back!" But Kite was not scared. "God will help us," Kite said. She was brave. She was calm.
Jackal sent the little birds far away. Far, far away. But God brought them back again! The seven little birds ran home. "Mama!" they said. Kite smiled. She held them tight.
Then God spoke to Jackal. "Jackal, you are too mean," God said. "You were not kind." "You must go away now." Jackal had to leave. She walked away, all alone.
Kite and her seven little birds stayed. They stayed in their big tree. They were together. They were safe. They were happy.
And they lived happily ever after.
Original Story
THE JACKAL AND THE KITE T HERE was once a she-jackal and a she-kite. They lived in the same tree; the jackal at the bottom of the tree, and the kite at the top. Neither had any children. One day the kite said to the jackal, “Let us go and worship God, and fast, and then he will give us children.” So the jackal said, “Very good.” That day the kite ate nothing, nor that night; but the jackal at night brought a dead animal, and was sitting eating it quietly under the tree. By-and-by the kite heard her crunching the bones, instead of fasting. “What have you got there,” said the kite, “that you are making such a noise?” “Nothing,” said the jackal; “it is only my own bones that rattle inside my body whenever I move.” The kite went to sleep again, and took no more notice of the jackal. Next morning the kite ate some food in the name of God. That night again the jackal brought a dead animal. The kite called out, “What are you crunching there? Why are you making that noise? I am sure you have something to eat.” The jackal said, “Oh, no! It is only my own bones rattling in my body.” So the kite went to sleep again. Some time after, the kite had seven little boys—real little boys—but the jackal had none, because she had not fasted. A year after that the kite went and worshipped God, asking Him to take care of her children. One day—it was their great day—the kite set out seven plates. On one she put [ Pg 22] cocoa-nuts, on another cucumbers, on a third rice, on a fourth plantains, and so on. Then she gave a plate to each of her seven sons, and told them to take the plates to their aunt the jackal. So they took the seven plates, and carried them to their aunt, crying out, “Aunty, aunty, look here! Mamma has sent you these things.” The jackal took the plates, and cut off the heads of the seven boys, and their hands, and their feet, and their noses, and their ears, and took out their eyes. Then she laid their heads in one plate, and their eyes in another, and their noses in a third, and their ears in a fourth, and their hands in a fifth, and their feet in a sixth, and their trunks in the seventh, and then she covered all the plates over. Then she took the plates to the kite, and called out, “Here! I have brought you something in return. You sent me a present, and I bring you a present.” Now the poor kite thought the jackal had killed all her seven children, so she cried out, “Oh, it’s too dark now to see what you have brought. Put the plates down in my tree.” The jackal put the plates down and went home. Then God made the boys alive again, and they came running to their mother, quite well. And instead of the heads and eyes, and noses and ears, and hands and feet, and trunks, there were again on the plates cocoa-nuts and cucumbers, and plantains and rice, and so on. Now the jackal got hold of the boys again. And this time she killed them, and cooked them and ate them; and again God brought them to life. Well, the jackal was very much astonished to see the boys alive, and she got angry, and said to the kite, “I will take your seven sons and throw them into the water, and they will be drowned.” “Very well,” said the kite, “take them. I don’t mind. God will take care of them.” The jackal took them and threw them into the water, and left them to die, while the kite looked on without crying. And again God made them alive, and [ Pg 23] the jackal was so surprised. “Why,” said she, “I put these children into the water, and left them to drown. And here they are alive!” Then God got very angry with the jackal, and said to her, “Go out of this village. And wherever you go, men will try to shoot you, and you shall always be afraid of them.” So the jackal had to go away; and the kite and her children lived very happily ever afterwards. Told by Dunkní. [ Pg 24]
Moral of the Story
Deceit and cruelty will ultimately be punished, while faith and righteousness are rewarded by divine intervention.
Characters
The She-Jackal ⚔ antagonist
A wild canine, likely with a lean build and reddish-brown fur, typical of a jackal.
Attire: None, as an animal.
Deceitful, gluttonous, cruel, persistent
The She-Kite ★ protagonist
A bird of prey, likely with sharp talons and a keen eyesight, typical of a kite.
Attire: None, as an animal.
Pious, trusting, resilient, maternal
God ◆ supporting
Not physically described, as an omnipotent, unseen entity.
Attire: Not applicable.
Benevolent, just, powerful, forgiving (initially)
The Seven Sons (of the Kite) ○ minor
Young, small birds, presumably similar in appearance to their mother.
Attire: None, as animals.
Obedient, innocent, vulnerable
Locations
The Tree
A single tree where the she-jackal lives at the bottom and the she-kite at the top.
Mood: Initially a shared, somewhat tense living space; later a place of deception and a safe haven for the kite.
The initial living arrangement of the two animals, the jackal's secret eating, and the kite's return to her children.
The Kite's Home (in the tree)
The top of the tree where the kite lives, implied to be a nest or similar dwelling.
Mood: Initially a place of hope and prayer, later a place of sorrow and then miraculous reunion.
The kite preparing food for her children and the miraculous return of her sons.
The River/Water
A body of water where the jackal attempts to drown the kite's children.
Mood: A place of attempted malice and divine intervention.
The jackal throwing the kite's sons into the water and their subsequent resurrection.
Story DNA
Moral
Deceit and cruelty will ultimately be punished, while faith and righteousness are rewarded by divine intervention.
Plot Summary
A childless she-jackal and she-kite agree to fast and worship God for children, but the jackal secretly cheats. The kite is blessed with seven sons, while the jackal has none. Driven by jealousy, the jackal brutally dismembers the kite's children, but God miraculously brings them back to life. The jackal repeatedly attempts to kill the boys, but each time God resurrects them. Finally, God, angered by the jackal's persistent cruelty, banishes her to a life of fear, allowing the kite and her children to live happily ever after.
Themes
Emotional Arc
suffering to triumph
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Maive Stokes collected Indian folktales in the late 19th century, reflecting traditional Indian oral storytelling.
Plot Beats (14)
- A childless she-jackal and she-kite live in the same tree.
- The kite suggests they fast and worship God for children; the jackal agrees but secretly eats at night.
- The kite hears the jackal crunching bones and questions her, but the jackal lies, claiming it's her own bones rattling.
- The kite gives birth to seven sons, but the jackal has none.
- The kite sends her seven sons to the jackal with plates of food as a gift.
- The jackal brutally dismembers the boys, placing their body parts on the plates.
- The jackal returns the plates to the kite, claiming it's a reciprocal gift, but the kite, thinking her children are dead, tells her to leave them.
- God miraculously brings the seven boys back to life, and the plates are filled with food again.
- The jackal gets hold of the boys again, kills them, cooks them, and eats them.
- God again brings the boys back to life, astonishing and angering the jackal.
- The jackal threatens to throw the boys into the water to drown them; the kite calmly agrees, trusting God.
- The jackal throws the boys into the water, but God once more brings them back to life.
- God, angered by the jackal's persistent cruelty, banishes her from the village and curses her to be hunted by men.
- The jackal leaves, and the kite and her seven sons live happily ever after.
