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

Ou' Wolf lays a Trap

‘Dis is de time I’s a-gun’ to get even wid darie ou’ skellum. I’ll yust go inside dere an’ get behind de door till he comes in. Den—well den—won’t I bash him I’ll feel good, I will, when I biffs him. He won’t; dere won’t be no more’n a big mess left of him: yust a grease spot to swear by.’

“Well, Ou’ Wolf he shamber over an’ sneak into de house an’ hide hisse’f behind de door, an’ he hadn’t more’n fit hisse’f into de cohner dan here comes Ou’ Jackalse home agen.

“But Ou’ Jackalse he ain’t de sort to walk into no place foolish unless dere’s sometin’ extray on. ’Stead o’ goin’ straight up an’ steppin’ right in, he circle roun’ outside de house to see if it’s all serene fust an same’s he left it. He hadn’t gone half way roun’ ’fore he plump right on de spoor of Ou’ Wolf an’ dere he stop. ‘Dat ain’t my spoor,’ ses he, cockin’ his years all roun’. ‘Dat’s Ou’ Wolf ben here. P’r’aps he’s inside my house, hey?’

“Well, he study an’ he won’er an’ den at last he stroke his nose. ‘I know what I’ll do,’ ses he. ‘I’ll ax my house if dere’s anybody inside.’

“Den he call out, slow an’ cunnin’: ‘My ole house! My ole house!’ An’ he waits an’ dere ain’t no answer.

“He call agen: ‘My ole house! My ole house!’ an’ agen dere ain’t no answer.

“Dis time he winks an’ he change de call. ‘My ole house! I know Ou’ Wolf’s inside you, else you’d say, “Come in,” like you al’ays does.’ Den he laugh till you could hear him right troo de trees.

“Ou’ Wolf behind de door he hear every word, an’ he hear dat laugh besides. ‘Now,’ ses he to hisse’f, ‘if I calls out “Come in,” he’ll tink it’s his ole house a-callin’ an’ he’ll step right in Ou’ Jackalse ain’t so smart as he reckon dis time, else he wouldn’t ha’ tol’ de words for de house to say.’ Den he try to make his voice soft an’ wheedlin’, while he call out high an’ cunnin’, ‘Co-o-me in!’

“Ou’ Jackalse he let out a great big laugh fit to split, an’ he lam stones at de door till it rattle agen. ‘Come out o’ dat, ole fathead! Tink I cahnt tell your voice?

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