Saved by his Tail
—down he came on to the stone with his two front feet, and there they stuck fast to the sticky black stuff, and he could not move them. He tried, and he tried, but it was no use.
“‘Toever!’ he screamed, ‘toever! Let me go!’
“‘Peep! peep!’ said a little voice, ‘don’t be frightened.’
“‘Who says I’m frightened, you old toever stone?’ asked Jakhals. ‘Though my front feet are fast, I can still kick with my hind feet.’
“‘Kick, kick, kick, and stick fast,’ said the little voice.
“So Jakhals kicked and kicked, and his hind feet stuck fast.
“There was a funny sound under the water, like water bubbling through a reed. It was the Water Tortoise laughing.
“‘Nier-r-r! nier-r-r!’ said Jakhals, getting very cross; ‘I’ve still got a tail, and I’ll beat you with it.’
“‘Beat, beat, beat, and stick fast,’ said the little voice.
“So Jakhals beat and beat, and his tail stuck fast.
“‘Nier-r-r!’ he said again, very angry; ‘I’ve still got a mouth, and I’ll bite you with it.’
“‘Bite, bite, bite, and stick fast,’ said the little voice.
“Jakhals opened his mouth, and bit and bit, and his mouth stuck fast. There he was, all in a bundle, sticking altogether fast to the black stone, and the more he tried to get free, the more he stuck fast.
“‘Peep, peep!’ said the Water Tortoise, poking up his head and laughing. Then he marched to the top of the dam-wall where everyone could see the strange sight, and there he sat, all quiet and good, till the other animals came.
“‘Arré! they were glad when they saw Jakhals sticking to the Water Tortoise. They held a Council and ordered him to be killed, and Broer Hyena—old Brown Sister’s husband—was to be the killer.
“They loosened Jakhal’s mouth from the sticky stuff, so that he could talk for the last time. He was very sorry for himself. His voice was thick with sorriness, and he could hardly get the words out.
“‘Thank you, Oom,’ he said. ‘I know I’m a wicked creature. It’s better for me to die than to live and trouble everyone so much.’
“Oom Leeuw and the other animals were wondering what kind of death the Water-stealer should die.
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The Story of Two Sisters Who Were Jealous of Their Younger Sister
Category: Arabic folktales
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