THE JACKAL and THE SPRING
by Unknown · from The Grey Fairy Book
Adapted Version
There was no water. All the animals were thirsty. Rivers were dry. Streams were dry. Animals looked for water. They found no water. They felt sad. They were very thirsty.
They found a small spring. It had little water. Animals said, "Let us dig." They wanted well. All animals worked. The Jackal did not work. He was lazy. He did not help.
The well was ready. Animals made a rule. The Jackal did not work. He cannot drink. The Rabbit was guard. He watched the well. Other animals went home.
The Jackal came. The Rabbit was there. The Jackal had sweet honeycomb. He gave the Rabbit a bit. The Rabbit liked it. He wanted more. The Jackal said, "Close your eyes." The Rabbit closed his eyes. He waited. The Jackal ran to the well. He drank water. Then he went away.
Animals came back. They saw the Rabbit. The well was open. The Jackal drank. Animals were sad. The Rabbit failed. They chose a new guard. The Little Hare was next.
The Jackal came again. The Little Hare was there. The Jackal showed honeycomb. He gave some. The Little Hare liked it. He wanted more. Jackal said, "Close eyes now." Hare closed. He waited. The Jackal drank water. He went away.
Animals came back. They saw the Little Hare. He was asleep. The well was open. The Jackal drank again. Animals were angry. They needed a strong guard. They chose The Tortoise.
The Jackal came. The Tortoise was guard. The Jackal said, "Hello! Hello!" The Tortoise did not speak. He did not move. The Jackal spoke again. The Tortoise was quiet.
Jackal thought, "He is foolish." He wanted water. He must drink. The Jackal went closer. He pushed The Tortoise. The Tortoise did not move. He was very strong.
The Jackal reached the well. He touched water. The Tortoise grabbed his leg. He held fast. The Jackal cried out. "Let me go!" He showed honeycomb. The Tortoise did not care. The Tortoise held tighter. He was very strong.
Animals came back. They saw The Tortoise. He held The Jackal. The Jackal struggled free. The Jackal ran away fast. He was scared. He never came back.
Animals cheered for The Tortoise. He was brave. He saved the well. Now they drank water. They were happy. The well was safe. The Tortoise was a hero.
The animals were safe. The tortoise was a hero. Work together and be fair is good.
Original Story
THE JACKAL AND THE SPRING
Once upon a time all the streams and rivers ran so dry that the animals did not know how to get water. After a very long search, which had been quite in vain, they found a tiny spring, which only wanted to be dug deeper so as to yield plenty of water. So the beasts said to each other, 'Let us dig a well, and then we shall not fear to die of thirst;' and they all consented except the jackal, who hated work of any kind, and generally got somebody to do it for him.
When they had finished their well, they held a council as to who should be made the guardian of the well, so that the jackal might not come near it, for, they said, 'he would not work, therefore he shall not drink.'
After some talk it was decided that the rabbit should be left in charge; then all the other beasts went back to their homes.
When they were out of sight the jackal arrived. 'Good morning! Good morning, rabbit!' and the rabbit politely said, 'Good morning!' Then the jackal unfastened the little bag that hung at his side, and pulled out of it a piece of honeycomb which he began to eat, and turning to the rabbit he remarked:
'As you see, rabbit, I am not thirsty in the least, and this is nicer than any water.'
'Give me a bit,' asked the rabbit. So the jackal handed him a very little morsel.
'Oh, how good it is!' cried the rabbit; 'give me a little more, dear friend!'
But the jackal answered, 'If you really want me to give you some more, you must have your paws tied behind you, and lie on your back, so that I can pour it into your mouth.'
The rabbit did as he was bid, and when he was tied tight and popped on his back, the jackal ran to the spring and drank as much as he wanted. When he had quite finished he returned to his den.
In the evening the animals all came back, and when they saw the rabbit lying with his paws tied, they said to him: 'Rabbit, how did you let yourself be taken in like this?'
'It was all the fault of the jackal,' replied the rabbit; 'he tied me up like this, and told me he would give me something nice to eat. It was all a trick just to get at our water.'
'Rabbit, you are no better than an idiot to have let the jackal drink our water when he would not help to find it. Who shall be our next watchman? We must have somebody a little sharper than you!' and the little hare called out, 'I will be the watchman.'
The following morning the animals all went their various ways, leaving the little hare to guard the spring. When they were out of sight the jackal came back. 'Good morning! good morning, little hare,' and the little hare politely said, 'Good morning.'
'Can you give me a pinch of snuff?' said the jackal.
'I am so sorry, but I have none,' answered the little hare.
The jackal then came and sat down by the little hare, and unfastened his little bag, pulling out of it a piece of honeycomb. He licked his lips and exclaimed, 'Oh, little hare, if you only knew how good it is!'
'What is it?' asked the little hare.
'It is something that moistens my throat so deliciously,' answered the jackal, 'that after I have eaten it I don't feel thirsty any more, while I am sure that all you other beasts are for ever wanting water.'
'Give me a bit, dear friend,' asked the little hare.
'Not so fast,' replied the jackal. 'If you really wish to enjoy what you are eating, you must have your paws tied behind you, and lie on your back, so that I can pour it into your mouth.'
'You can tie them, only be quick,' said the little hare, and when he was tied tight and popped on his back, the jackal went quietly down to the well, and drank as much as he wanted. When he had quite finished he returned to his den.
In the evening the animals all came back; and when they saw the little hare with his paws tied, they said to him: 'Little hare, how did you let yourself be taken in like this? Didn't you boast you were very sharp? You undertook to guard our water; now show us how much is left for us to drink!'
'It is all the fault of the jackal,' replied the little hare, 'He told me he would give me something nice to eat if I would just let him tie my hands behind my back.'
Then the animals said, 'Who can we trust to mount guard now?' And the panther answered, 'Let it be the tortoise.'
The following morning the animals all went their various ways, leaving the tortoise to guard the spring. When they were out of sight the jackal came back. 'Good morning, tortoise; good morning.'
But the tortoise took no notice.
'Good morning, tortoise; good morning.' But still the tortoise pretended not to hear.
Then the jackal said to himself, 'Well, to-day I have only got to manage a bigger idiot than before. I shall just kick him on one side, and then go and have a drink.' So he went up to the tortoise and said to him in a soft voice, 'Tortoise! tortoise!' but the tortoise took no notice. Then the jackal kicked him out of the way, and went to the well and began to drink, but scarcely had he touched the water, than the tortoise seized him by the leg. The jackal shrieked out: 'Oh, you will break my leg!' but the tortoise only held on the tighter. The jackal then took his bag and tried to make the tortoise smell the honeycomb he had inside; but the tortoise turned away his head and smelt nothing. At last the jackal said to the tortoise, 'I should like to give you my bag and everything in it,' but the only answer the tortoise made was to grasp the jackal's leg tighter still.
So matters stood when the other animals came back. The moment he saw them, the jackal gave a violent tug, and managed to free his leg, and then took to his heels as fast as he could. And the animals all said to the tortoise:
'Well done, tortoise, you have proved your courage; now we can drink from our well in peace, as you have got the better of that thieving jackal!'
[Contes Populaires des Bassoutos; recueilli et traduits par E. Jacottet.
Paris: Leroux, éditeur.]
Story DNA
Moral
Those who contribute nothing should not benefit from the labor of others, and cunning can be overcome by steadfastness.
Plot Summary
During a severe drought, animals dig a well, but the lazy jackal refuses to help. The animals appoint guards to prevent the jackal from drinking, but he repeatedly tricks the naive rabbit and hare with honeycomb, tying them up to access the water. Finally, the steadfast tortoise is appointed; he ignores the jackal's ploys and seizes his leg as he tries to drink. The tortoise holds the jackal until the other animals return, forcing the jackal to flee, ensuring the community's water supply is safe.
Themes
Emotional Arc
frustration to triumph
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
This tale is from 'Contes Populaires des Bassoutos' (Popular Tales of the Basotho), collected and translated by E. Jacottet, highlighting its African oral tradition roots.
Plot Beats (12)
- A severe drought causes all streams and rivers to dry up, threatening the animals.
- The animals find a tiny spring and agree to dig a well, but the jackal refuses to help.
- After finishing the well, the animals decide the jackal, having not worked, should not drink, and appoint the rabbit as guardian.
- The jackal approaches the rabbit, offers him honeycomb, and tricks him into being tied up to receive more, then drinks from the well.
- The other animals return, discover the rabbit's failure, and appoint the little hare as the next guardian.
- The jackal returns, uses the same honeycomb trick on the little hare, ties him up, and drinks from the well.
- The animals return, find the little hare tied, and decide to appoint the tortoise, hoping for a more effective guard.
- The jackal approaches the tortoise, who ignores his greetings and attempts at conversation.
- Believing the tortoise to be an idiot, the jackal tries to kick him aside to drink.
- As the jackal touches the water, the tortoise seizes his leg and holds on tightly, despite the jackal's pleas and attempts to bribe him with honeycomb.
- The other animals return to find the tortoise holding the jackal, who then violently frees himself and flees.
- The animals praise the tortoise for his courage and can now drink from their well in peace.
Characters
The Jackal
A lean, medium-sized canid with sandy-brown fur, a bushy tail, and sharp, intelligent eyes. His build is agile and quick, suited for opportunistic hunting and swift escapes. His fur is often dusty from his travels.
Attire: None, as he is an animal. However, he carries a small, worn leather pouch or bag slung at his side.
Wants: To obtain what he desires (water, food) without expending any effort or doing any work, by outsmarting others.
Flaw: Overconfidence in his own cleverness, which eventually leads to his downfall when he encounters a truly unyielding opponent.
He remains unchanged in his cunning nature but learns that not everyone can be fooled, experiencing a rare defeat and humiliation.
Lazy, cunning, deceptive, opportunistic, persuasive.
The Rabbit
A small, fluffy rabbit with soft brown fur, a white cottontail, and long, twitching ears. He is nimble but somewhat naive.
Attire: None, as he is an animal.
Wants: To fulfill his duty as guardian of the well, but also to satisfy his curiosity and desire for treats.
Flaw: His gullibility and inability to resist temptation, especially for something 'nice to eat'.
Learns a harsh lesson about trusting strangers and the consequences of his naivety, leading to his replacement as guardian.
Polite, easily tempted, naive, trusting, somewhat foolish.
The Little Hare
A slender, agile hare, slightly larger and more confident than the rabbit, with longer legs and ears. His fur is a mottled grey-brown, blending with the dry landscape.
Attire: None, as he is an animal.
Wants: To prove his sharpness and capability to the other animals by successfully guarding the well.
Flaw: His pride and desire to prove himself 'sharp', which makes him susceptible to the Jackal's flattery and temptation.
Similar to the Rabbit, he learns that boasting does not equate to wisdom when faced with cunning, and he too fails in his duty.
Boastful, confident (initially), easily tempted, naive, slightly more discerning than the rabbit but still falls for the trick.
The Tortoise
A large, sturdy tortoise with a dark, heavily armored shell, thick, scaly legs, and a wrinkled neck. His movements are slow but deliberate and powerful.
Attire: None, as he is an animal.
Wants: To protect the community's water supply and fulfill his duty, demonstrating true steadfastness.
Flaw: His slow movement, which the Jackal initially misinterprets as stupidity.
Proves his worth and courage by successfully defending the well, becoming the hero who outsmarts the Jackal through sheer tenacity.
Patient, stoic, resolute, unyielding, wise, courageous.
Locations
The Dry Lands
A vast, arid landscape where all streams and rivers have run completely dry, indicating a severe drought. The ground is likely parched and cracked, with sparse, withered vegetation.
Mood: Desperate, desolate, life-threatening due to lack of water
The initial setting that forces the animals to search for water.
The Newly Dug Well
A small, hand-dug well, likely a simple pit in the ground, yielding a precious supply of water. It is the focal point of the animals' survival and conflict with the jackal. The surrounding area might show signs of recent digging, with loose earth.
Mood: Hopeful, vital, later tense and contested
The discovery and creation of the water source, and the subsequent attempts to guard it from the jackal.