Reading Diary A: South African Folktales

The Dance for Water

• There was a great drought
• The animals were in need of water
• They decided to go dance in the river bed to bring the water up
• The rabbit refused to dance because he thought they were foolish.
• The water came but the rabbit didn't drink with them because he didn't help.
• Rabbit went to drink at night when everyone was asleep
• To get revenge on the rabbit, the tortoise disguised himself as a rock in the water. When rabbit would step onto the tortoise rock, he will become stuck to him
• The animals ruled that the lion would kill the rabbit, but the lion just pulled the rabbit leaving all of his fur behind and he was free

Jackal and Monkey

• A jackal would go on to a Boer's kraal and steal lambs
• The Boer set a trap to catch the jackal hoisting him into the swinging.
• A monkey saw the jackal hanging and laughed at him.
• The jackal tricked the monkey into changing him spots
• The Boer shot and killed the monkey.

The Story of Hare

• A group of animals filled a kraal full of fat and left if guarded by imbila.
• A fabulous animal ate all the fat when the imbila fell asleep.
• The animals filled a kraal again with fat and left the skunk in charge of it
• The fabulous animal led the skunk away with honey allowing it to eat the kraal again.
• The kraal was filled for the third time and the antelope was left in charge.
• The fabulous animal tricked the antelope into falling asleep to eat the fat again
• The kraal was filled for the 6th time when the hare yelled at the fabulous animal to stop eating the fat



A lion. Source



• The hare killed the fabulous animal. The hare hid in a hole until he finally came out to find food


• The monkeys killed the rabbit with all the tools he had made

Jackal, Dove, and Heron

• A jackal is eating the dove's babies
• The heron told the dove the jackal can't fly
• The jackal became angry with Heron for telling dove this
• To get back at the heron, the jackal broke the heron's neck
• The heron's neck has been bent ever since.

The Judgment of Baboon

• A mouse had torn the clothes of the tailor. The issue was taken to the baboon.
• He denied this act and blamed it on another animal. This cycle continued.
• There was a trail with baboon as the judge.
• Justice was served but the baboon refused to be judge anymore.
• The baboon now walks on all fours for making such a foolish judgment.

When Lion Could Fly

• Lion's could fly during a time when no one else could
• Lion would keep the bones of the animals he would eat guarded.
• A frog came by and broke all the bones
• The lion discovered he could not fly anymore and went to see what happened
• The lion went to see the frog but he could not reach him because he was on the other side of the bank
• It was after that day the lion walked on all fours he crept up on his prey