One day, Lion and Jackal went hunting together. They shot arrows at their prey. Lion shot first, but his arrow fell short. Jackal’s arrow, however, struck the animal, and he cried out with joy, “I hit it!”
Lion looked at him with his large eyes. Jackal, not losing his composure, quickly said, “No, uncle, I meant that you hit it.” They followed the trail, and Jackal cleverly passed Lion’s arrow without drawing his attention.
When they reached a crossroad, Jackal said, “Dear uncle, you are old and tired; please stay here.” Jackal went off in the wrong direction, scraped his nose so that it bled, and returned saying, “I found nothing, but I saw traces of blood. You had better look yourself while I check another path.”
Jackal then discovered the dead animal, crawled inside it, and devoured the best parts. Unfortunately, his tail stuck out, and when Lion arrived, he grabbed it, pulled Jackal out, and threw him to the ground.
“You rascal!” roared Lion.
Jackal quickly stood up and protested, “What have I done now, dear uncle? I was cutting out the best portion for us!”
“Let us go and fetch our wives,” said Lion. But Jackal insisted, “No, uncle, you are old. Stay here and rest.” Jackal then took two portions of meat: the worst part for Lion’s family and the best part for Lion’s wife. When the lion cubs saw him, they cried happily, “Cousin has brought meat!” Jackal tossed them the bad portion and muttered, “There, you brood of the big-eyed one!”
He then told his wife to pack up their house and move near the carcass. To deceive Lion further, Jackal scratched his own face in a thorn bush, then said to Lion, “Ah! What a wife you have! Look how she scratched me when I told her to come with us. You must fetch her yourself.”
While Lion went angrily to bring his wife, Jackal built a stone tower with his family. When Lion returned, Jackal called out, “Uncle, we built a tower to see game better.”
Lion asked to join them. Jackal pretended to help by lowering a thong. As Lion climbed, Jackal cut the rope, and Lion crashed to the ground. Twice more Lion tried, and twice Jackal cut the thong.
Finally, Jackal pretended to offer him a piece of meat. Instead, he heated a stone, covered it in fat, and threw it into Lion’s mouth. Lion fell, gravely hurt, crying for water. Meanwhile, Jackal escaped with his family, leaving Lion behind.