West
African Folk-Tales
by William H. Barker and Cecilia Sinclair
How
We Got the Name "Spider Tales"
How
Wisdom Became the Property of the Human Race
Why
the Lizard Moves His Head Up and Down
Why
White Ants Always Harm Man's Property
Why We See Ants Carrying Bundles As Big As Themselves
Why Spiders Are Always Found in Corners of Ceilings
Anansi
and the Blind Fisherman
The
Grinding-Stone That Ground Flour By Itself
Why the Sea-turtle When Caught Beats Its Breast With Its Forelegs
How
Beasts and Serpents Came into the World
Why the Moon and the Stars Receive Their Light From the Sun
How
the Tortoise Got Its Shell
The
Lion and the Wolf
Why the Leopard Can Only Catch Prey On Its Left Side
King
Chameleon and the Animals
To Lose an Elephant For the Sake of a Wren Is a Very Foolish Thing To Do
Why Tigers Never Attack Men Unless They Are Provoked
The Lion and the Wolf
A CERTAIN old lady had a very fine flock of sheep. She had fed and cared for them so well that they became famous for their fatness. In time a wicked wolf heard of them and determined to eat them.
Night after night he stole up to the old dame's cottage and killed a sheep. The poor woman tried her best to save her animals from harm—but failed.
At last there was only one sheep left of all the flock. Their owner was very sad. She feared that it, too, would be taken away from her, in spite of all she could do. While she was grieving over the thought of this a lion came to her village.
Seeing her sad face, he asked the reason of it. She soon told him all about it. He thereupon offered to do his best to punish the wicked wolf. He himself went to the place where the sheep was generally kept—while the latter was removed to another place.
In the meantime the wolf was on his way to the cottage. As he came he met a fox. The fox was somewhat afraid of him and prepared to run away. The wolf, however, told him where he was going, and invited him to go too. The fox agreed and the two set off together. They arrived at the cottage and went straight to the place where the sheep generally slept. The wolf at once rushed upon the animal, while Fox waited a little behind. Just as Fox was deciding to enter and help Wolf there came a bright flash of lightning. By the light of it the fox could see that the wolf was attacking—not a sheep—but a lion. He hastily ran away, shouting as he went: "Look at his face! Look at his face!"
During the flash Wolf did look at the pretended sheep. To his dismay he found he had made a great mistake. At once he began to make humble apologies—but all in vain. Lion refused to listen to any of his explanations, and speedily put him to death.
The text came from:
Barker,
William H.
and Cecilia Sinclair. West African Folk-tales. Lagos, Africa: Bookshop, 1917.
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©Heidi
Anne Heiner, SurLaLune Fairy Tales
E-mail: surlalune@aol.com
Page last updated September 5, 2006
www.surlalunefairytales.com
