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Main > South African folktales > Fairy tale "Ou' Wolf lays a Trap"

Ou' Wolf lays a Trap

The little girl was in a great way for a day or two at the immunity of the rascal Jackal in his dealings with Old Wolf. “But, Ou’ Ta’,” demanded she at last, “did Ou’ Wolf never pay off Ou’ Jackalse for his skellum tricks?”

“Well,” answered Old Hendrik, taking a fresh piece of sugar cane from under his arm and biting a good two inches off it as he began, sitting by the barn end, “dere was one time when he come so near it he would a-got square if it hadn’t a-bin Ou’ Jackalse. It look one time like Ou’ Jackalse was a-goner, but bein’ it was him, why o’ cou’se—

“It come like dis. Ahter Ou’ Wolf was new married, his missus she kep’ on a-yawin’ about how he’d let Ou’ Jackalse t’atch his tail fast, an’ steal his dinner, an’ biff him wid bones, an’ let him in for a bashin’ f’m de man wid de biltong waggon, till Ou’ Wolf he ’gin to be mighty glad he hadn’t tol’ her about all de rest o’ de times Ou’ Jackalse done him down. But all de same it seem like he ain’t save’ much by not tellin’ her, for de ting she did know seem like it’s quite enough to keep her goin’ all day an’ every day, an double span on Sunday. If she’d a-knowed more she couldn’t ha’ yawed more, ’cause dere ain’t but sev’n days in de week to yaw in when you’ve done your best. Ou’ Wolf couldn’t stan’ no more. He yust sneaked out an’ off.

“Well, he see it stickin’ out pretty plain dat he’ll hatto get square wid darie Ou’ Jackalse or he’ll hatto leave home—one or toder. But for de life o’ him he cahnt yust make up his mind what’s de best way to do it, an’ he tink dat hard as he go along, and he tink dat close as he stride along, dat fust ting he know he find hisse’f walkin’ plump onto Ou’ Jackalse’s house. He yust wake up in time to sit down sudden behin’ a bush till he see weder Ou’ Jackalse is at home or not.

“Pretty soon he’s pretty sure Ou’ Jackalse ain’t at home. In de fust place dere ain’t no smoke, an’ nex’ place de door’s shut fas’ an’ de window hole is bung up tight wid a vach-a-bikkie bush. ‘Dis is yust my chance at las’,’ ses Ou’ Wolf to hisse’f.

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