The Lion and the Jackal is a traditional South African folktale for children aged 8 to 12. In this Kooky Kids World retelling, a hungry Jackal joins Lion on a hunt, then discovers that strength and fairness are not always the same thing.
The story follows Jackal through dry grasslands, rocky dens and a string of daring tricks as he tries to keep his family fed.
Story Details
- Independent Reading Age: 8 to 12 years
- Listen-Along Age: 5 to 10 years
- Reading Level: Upper elementary and confident shared reading
- Reading Time: About 17 minutes
- Author / Source: Traditional South African folktale, retold by Kooky Kids World
- Story Type: Folktale
- Region / Origin: South Africa
- Main Characters: Little Jackal, Lion, Lioness, Mrs. Jackal and the young jackals
- Moral / Themes: Cleverness, fairness, family and the consequences of greed
The Story
Long ago, in the wide grasslands of southern Africa, a hungry Little Jackal set out to find food. The dry season had lasted for many weeks. Yellow grass rustled beneath the hot sun, the waterholes had shrunk to muddy pools and even the birds seemed too tired to sing. Jackal trotted between the thorn trees with his nose close to the ground, hoping to catch the scent of something his family could eat.
Jackal was not particularly strong, and he was certainly not the fastest animal on the plain. Yet he had sharp eyes, quick feet and a clever mind. Whenever danger came too close, Jackal could usually think of a way to slip out of it.
That morning, he had barely reached the edge of the grassland when a deep voice called behind him. “Good morning, Little Jackal. Where are you going?” Jackal turned and found himself face to face with Lion, the largest and strongest hunter on the plain. “Good morning, Uncle Lion,” he replied politely. “I am looking for something to feed my family.”
Lion stretched his enormous paws and yawned, showing a mouthful of sharp teeth. “Then we should hunt together. With my strength and your sharp eyes, we may catch something worth eating.” Jackal considered the offer carefully. Hunting with Lion could be dangerous, but refusing Lion could be more dangerous still.
“That sounds like an excellent idea,” said Jackal. Lion’s mane lifted proudly as he answered, “Then we must agree how to divide our catch. If we catch a small antelope, it belongs to you. If we catch a large animal, it belongs to me.” Jackal looked at Lion’s powerful legs and great round belly, and he had a strong feeling that Lion had made a bargain only Lion could like.
“And if we catch something in between?” Jackal asked. Lion gave a low growl. “There is no need to make things complicated.” Jackal lowered his head at once. “Of course not, Uncle Lion. Your plan sounds perfectly fair.” As they set off across the plain, however, he wondered whether he had made a very foolish agreement.
The two hunters travelled through the thorn bushes and along dry riverbeds. Jackal studied the dust for tracks while Lion watched for movement in the tall grass. Before long, they saw a magnificent eland grazing beneath an acacia tree. It was a huge animal, with long horns, strong legs and a dark mane along its thick neck.
Lion’s eyes gleamed. “Now that is a proper meal,” he whispered. Jackal looked from the eland to Lion and remembered their agreement. The animal was large enough to feed both families for days, but Lion had already decided that its size made it his alone.
They crept forward, keeping low in the grass. Jackal circled behind the eland while Lion waited beside a clump of thorns. When Jackal startled the animal, it bounded straight towards Lion, who sprang from his hiding place and brought it down with one mighty leap.
“A fine catch!” Lion declared, standing proudly beside the eland. Jackal hurried over and said, “There is enough meat here for both our families.” Lion looked puzzled. “Both families? Have you forgotten our agreement? Small animals belong to you. Large animals belong to me.”
Jackal’s ears drooped, although he had expected exactly that answer. “But I helped you catch it,” he said. “And very helpful you were,” Lion replied cheerfully. “Now go to my den and tell my children to come and carry the meat home. I shall hunt a little longer. Perhaps I will find something smaller for you.”
Jackal watched Lion stride away across the plain. Then he looked down at the eland and thought of his hungry family. “So Uncle Lion gets the meat, his children get a feast and my little ones must go hungry,” he murmured. He scratched behind one ear until a sly smile crept over his face. “You may be the strongest animal on the plain, Uncle Lion, but that does not make you the cleverest.”
Jackal hurried home to the sheltered den where his family lived among the rocks. His children rushed to meet him, asking whether he had brought food. “Something better,” Jackal told them. “I have found enough meat to feed us all.” Mrs. Jackal narrowed her eyes. “You have not been getting into trouble again, have you?”
“Trouble?” Jackal said, looking deeply offended. “My dear, I have spent the whole morning working.” He told his family where the eland lay and urged them to move quickly before Lion returned. Mrs. Jackal knew the animal belonged to Lion, but she also knew what Lion’s bargain had meant for Jackal’s hungry children. Together they carried away as much meat as they could, journey after journey, until the eland was gone.
By the time the sun began to sink, the young jackals were enjoying the biggest meal they had eaten in weeks.
Lion, meanwhile, had found nothing on his afternoon hunt. When he reached his den, tired and hungry, he asked Lioness where the eland was. Lioness stared at him in surprise. “What eland? No one has come here. The children have been waiting for you all day.”
Lion stood very still. Then his mane began to bristle. “Jackal,” he growled, and he set off towards the rocky hillside.
Jackal’s den stood high above the ground on a steep ledge. When Lion reached the rocks, there was no rope hanging down and no path he could climb. “JACKAL!” he roared. “COME DOWN HERE!” Jackal peered over the edge with a pleasant smile. “Why, Uncle Lion. What a surprise. Did you enjoy your hunt?”
“Where is my eland?” Lion demanded. Jackal looked puzzled. “Your eland? Which eland would that be?” Lion’s roar shook the hillside, but Jackal had already disappeared into the den. Unable to reach him, Lion settled beside a nearby pool. He knew Jackal would have to come down for water sooner or later.
After a long wait, Lion saw Jackal creeping towards the pool with his nose close to the ground. Jackal was only a few steps from the water when he spotted Lion’s golden mane. He turned and raced for the trees, with Lion’s great paws pounding behind him. Jackal squeezed beneath the roots of an old tree, but Lion caught his tail before it vanished into the hole.
“Aha!” Lion cried. “I have caught you at last.” Jackal felt Lion’s heavy paw gripping his tail, but he knew he could not pull free by force. “Caught me?” he called from inside the hole. “Uncle Lion, you are holding a tree root.” Lion bent closer and frowned at the furry thing beneath his paw.
“A tree root?” he said. “Certainly,” Jackal replied. “You must be very tired to mistake a root for my tail. If you do not believe me, find a stone and strike it. A root will not bleed, will it?” Lion thought about this, released his grip and turned away to look for a stone.
The moment his tail was free, Jackal scrambled deep beneath the roots. When Lion returned, he found only darkness. He waited beside the hole for a long time, but Jackal did not come out. After a while, Lion crept into the bushes, hoping Jackal would think he had gone home.
Jackal listened for a while, then edged towards the entrance. “Ho, Uncle Lion,” he called softly, “I see you, even though you are hiding.” Lion did not move. Jackal came out a little farther, and Lion sprang from the bushes. Yet Jackal was quicker. He darted away through the scrub and disappeared before Lion could catch him.
Some days later, the animals held a meeting beside a small fire. Lion was chief of the gathering, and a rule had been made that no animal without horns could attend. Little Jackal wanted to hear what was said, so he found wax from a bees’ nest and shaped two small horns. He fastened them to his head and slipped quietly into the meeting.
Lion glanced at the strange horned creature but did not recognise Jackal. For a while, Jackal sat safely among the other animals. Then the fire’s warmth softened the wax. One horn leaned sideways, the other slid down and, at last, both dropped into the dust.
Lion looked up and roared, “JACKAL!” Jackal sprang away before Lion’s paw could close around him. He ran until he came to a great rock leaning out from the hillside, then darted beneath it and pressed his paws against the stone. “Help me, Uncle Lion!” he shouted. “This rock is falling!”
Lion skidded to a halt. The rock was enormous, and he did not want it crashing down upon him. “What should I do?” he asked. Jackal strained beneath the rock and cried, “Find a strong branch. Quickly. We must prop it up before it falls.”
Lion rushed into the bushes and tested branch after branch until he found one thick enough to satisfy him. When he returned, Jackal had vanished, and the rock stood exactly as it had before. Lion stared at the empty space beneath it, then threw back his head and gave a roar that echoed across the plain.
You might imagine that Lion would never trust Jackal again. Yet hunger has a way of making old enemies forget their quarrels, and the two animals still lived on the same grasslands. Some time later, they met beside a dry riverbed and agreed to hunt together once more.
That day they caught a large ox that had wandered from its herd. Lion was pleased with the catch, but he had not forgotten the eland. “I shall guard the meat,” he announced. “You will carry it home in portions.” Jackal nodded politely, although his eyes brightened at the thought of another chance to teach Lion about fair sharing.
Lion tore off a large, tender piece and placed it before Jackal. “Take this to my wife,” he said. Jackal carried it straight to his own family. When he returned, Lion gave him a smaller, tougher piece. “This is for your household.” Jackal took it to Lioness instead.
Lioness looked at the poor piece of meat and frowned. “Why have you brought us this?” Jackal bowed his head. “It is what Lion sent, Aunt Lioness. I am only the messenger.” Lioness stared at the scrap, wondering what sort of share Lion believed his family deserved.
Lion continued dividing the meat without once checking where Jackal carried it. Each tender portion meant for Lioness went to Jackal’s hungry family, while each poor piece meant for Jackal’s household went to Lioness. By sunset, the ox was gone, Jackal’s children had eaten well and Lion still believed he had arranged everything perfectly.
When Lion returned home, Lioness was waiting for him. “What have you been doing?” she demanded. Lion stopped in surprise. “I have been hunting all day.” Lioness pointed to the scraps beside the den. “Then why did you send us these miserable pieces of meat? Jackal said they came from you.”
Lion’s eyes widened as he understood where the best meat had gone. With an angry roar, he stormed towards the rocky hillside once more.
Jackal was sitting outside his den when he saw Lion approaching. The great animal’s mane bristled and his tail whipped from side to side. “Dear me,” said Jackal. “Another unexpected visitor.” Lion stopped below the rock and shouted, “Jackal! Lower your rope. I want to speak with you.”
Jackal leaned over the edge. “Who is calling? Where have you come from? Where are you going? And what business brings you to my little home?” Lion growled. “Stop asking questions. I know you stole my meat.” Jackal tilted his head. “Uncle Lion, why did you not say it was you? I could hardly recognise your voice.”
Lion drew a slow breath. “Lower the rope.” Jackal examined the old cord beside him. It had been twisted from strips of mouse skin and had grown thin with age. “Certainly, Uncle Lion,” he said. “You are always welcome.”
Jackal lowered the rope down the rock face. Lion seized it between his paws and began to climb, pulling his heavy body upwards while he searched for footholds against the stone. At first the rope held, but it stretched and creaked beneath his weight. “Be careful, Uncle Lion,” Jackal called. “That rope is rather old.”
Lion growled and climbed higher. Then the rope snapped.
Lion tumbled onto the dusty ground below with an enormous thump. For a moment he lay still, stunned. A moment later, he struggled to his feet, shook the dust from his mane and looked up at Jackal.
Jackal peered down with great concern. “Oh dear, Uncle Lion. Are you all right?” Lion gave a furious growl, but his paws were sore and his pride was badly bruised. He looked at the steep rock and the broken rope lying beside him. There was no way for him to climb up to Jackal’s home.
Eventually, Lion turned and limped away across the grasslands. High above him, Jackal watched until the great hunter disappeared among the thorn trees. Mrs. Jackal came to stand beside him and asked, “Do you think Lion will ever trust you again?”
Jackal considered the question for a moment. “Perhaps not,” he said. “But if he ever asks me to carry his supper again, I shall be very pleased to help.” Mrs. Jackal shook her head, and the little jackals burst into laughter.
Down on the plain, Lion continued towards home, grumbling to himself. He was the strongest animal for miles around, yet he had been fooled again and again by a creature small enough to slip beneath a tree root. From then on, every animal on the grasslands knew that Lion had strength enough to frighten almost anyone, but whenever he met Little Jackal, strength alone was never quite enough.
Moral
Moral: Strength without fairness can be outwitted, and a clever mind can help protect those who depend on you.
Short Summary
Lion and Little Jackal agree to hunt together, but Lion claims the largest animals for himself even when Jackal helps make the hunt succeed. Jackal feeds his family by turning Lion’s unfair rules back on him, then escapes Lion’s anger with a series of quick tricks. By the end, Lion learns that being the strongest animal does not make him impossible to fool.
More Stories
- The Lion and the Mouse: An Aesop fable where a small animal shows that kindness can matter more than strength.
- The Coyote and the Rabbit: A Mexican folktale with another quick-thinking animal facing a stronger rival.
- The Fox and the Stork: An animal tale about fairness and how a trick can come back to its maker.
- The Crow and the Pitcher: A short fable about solving a difficult problem by thinking carefully.
- How the Bear Lost Its Tail: A traditional animal story with a trick, a consequence and a memorable ending.
Main Characters
- Little Jackal: A small, observant father who uses his wits when Lion treats him unfairly.
- Lion: The powerful hunter whose greed and pride repeatedly make him easy to trick.
- Mrs. Jackal: Jackal’s practical wife, who helps their family carry food home.
- Lioness: Lion’s wife, who helps reveal that Lion’s unfair sharing has gone wrong.
- The young jackals: Jackal’s hungry children, whose need for food raises the stakes for their father.
Vocabulary Spotlight
- Antelope: A hoofed grassland animal, such as the eland in this story.
- Eland: A very large kind of antelope found in parts of Africa.
- Grasslands: Wide areas where grasses grow and few trees stand.
- Thorn tree: A tree with sharp thorns on its branches.
- Den: An animal’s sheltered home.
- Krantz: A South African word for a rocky cliff or steep edge.
- Crevice: A narrow crack or opening in rock.
- Outwit: To defeat someone by thinking more cleverly than they do.
Discussion Questions
- Why did Jackal agree to hunt with Lion, even though he suspected the bargain was unfair?
- Which of Lion’s choices made it easier for Jackal to trick him?
- How did Jackal help with the eland hunt before Lion claimed it?
- Do you think Jackal was right to take food for his family? Why or why not?
- How are Lion’s strength and Jackal’s cleverness different kinds of power?
- What does Lion learn, if anything, by the end of the story?
- Which trick was Jackal’s most effective? Use evidence from the story.
- How would the story change if Lion had shared the first hunt fairly?
Classroom Activities for Children
Make a Fair-Sharing Chart
Give pairs a pretend harvest or a set of counters to divide between two families. Ask them to make one fair division and one unfair division, then explain what makes each choice fair or unfair.
Sequence Jackal’s Tricks
Give children mixed-up cards for the eland, tree-root, wax-horns, falling-rock and rope episodes. They place the events in order and explain how each trick works.
Grassland Movement Trail
In an open space, children move like Lion stalking, eland bounding and Jackal slipping through roots. Use clear boundaries and slow, safe movements rather than chasing.
Make Wax-Free Animal Horns
Use paper strips, card and tape to design removable animal horns or ears. Children can label the animal and explain why Jackal’s wax horns created a problem.
Freeze-Frame Drama
Small groups create a silent frozen scene from the story. The audience guesses the moment, then the group explains each character’s thought or feeling.
Fair, Unfair or Clever?
Read short choices from the story aloud. Children move to a Fair, Unfair or Clever sign and explain their reasoning, listening respectfully when classmates disagree.
Outdoor Animal-Track Hunt
Outside, ask children to look for safe signs that animals have been nearby, such as feathers, tracks, nibbled leaves or insects. They record observations without disturbing wildlife.
Write a New Animal Trick
Children invent a short, screen-free folktale scene in which a smaller animal solves a problem without hurting anyone. They should include a setting, a challenge and a consequence.
Teachers’ Notes
Best curriculum fit: Traditional stories, character motivation, fairness, oral storytelling, animal habitats and persuasive reasoning.
Key learning themes: Cleverness, power, fairness, family responsibility, consequences and cause and effect.
Before reading: Introduce a folktale as a story that may exist in many tellings rather than one fixed version.
During reading: Pause after each agreement or trick. Ask what Lion expects, what Jackal notices and what might happen next.
After reading: Compare strength, cleverness and fairness. Encourage children to support answers with moments from the text.
Cross-curricular links: English, drama, PSHE, art, geography and animal habitats.
Teacher tip: Keep the focus on the story’s choices and oral-storytelling tradition. Avoid treating the animal behavior as real-world advice about wildlife.
Why This Version Works for Children
This version gives readers a clear unfair bargain, a family need and a sequence of escalating tricks. The action stays easy to follow because each escape grows from Lion’s greed or impatience.
The story includes danger and a rough fall, but it keeps injuries non-graphic and lets the consequences come through Lion’s embarrassment and bruised pride rather than cruelty.
What Parents and Teachers May Want to Know
The story includes a hunt, hunger, threats, chasing and Lion falling when an old rope breaks. The action is not graphic, but younger or sensitive children may prefer to listen with an adult.
Jackal repeatedly deceives Lion after Lion makes an unfair agreement. This can open a useful conversation about fairness, survival, trust and whether clever choices always have simple answers.
Story Background
The Lion and the Jackal is a traditional South African animal folktale. In the story, Lion represents physical strength and authority, while Jackal survives through observation, speed and cleverness.
Traditional tales travel through oral storytelling, books and retellings, so details and episode order can vary. This Kooky Kids World version is an original retelling based on the traditional plot, not a claim to be the single official version.
About This Retelling
This child-friendly retelling keeps the main shape and meaning of a traditional South African Lion and Jackal story while using clear language for young readers. Traditional stories can vary between regions, families and storytellers, so this version should be read as an introduction rather than the only version.
Further Reading for Adults and Teachers
- South-African Folk-Tales: “Lion and Jackal”: An early online text of a Lion and Jackal tale for adult source context. The Kooky Kids World page is a newly written child-friendly retelling.
Frequently Asked Questions About The Lion and the Jackal
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What is The Lion and the Jackal about?
This South African folktale follows a hungry Jackal who hunts with Lion, then uses his quick thinking when Lion tries to keep the best food for himself.
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What is the moral of The Lion and the Jackal?
The story suggests that strength without fairness can fail, while cleverness and careful thinking can help someone face an unfair situation.
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Is The Lion and the Jackal a South African folktale?
This retelling is based on a traditional Lion and Jackal tale collected in South African folktale sources. Oral stories can vary between tellers and editions.
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Why does Jackal trick Lion?
Lion makes an agreement that gives himself the best of every hunt, even when Jackal helps. Jackal answers Lion’s unfairness with a series of tricks.
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Is this story suitable for children?
It is best for independent readers aged 8 to 12, or for younger children listening with an adult. It includes threats, chasing and Lion falling from a rope, but no graphic injury.
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What can children discuss after reading the story?
Children can talk about fairness, trust, consequences, different kinds of strength and whether Jackal’s choices were clever, necessary or both.
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Is this the only version of the story?
No. Traditional folktales are told in different ways by different storytellers. This is a child-friendly Kooky Kids World retelling, not the only version.
Copyright Notice
This story is based on a traditional or public-domain tale. This Kooky Kids World retelling, page text, audio narration, illustrations and supporting educational materials are © Kooky Kids World. They may not be copied, republished or reused without permission.
