Once upon a time, a dove built a soft nest for her three chicks. She was so proud of their beauty that she told everyone, and soon the whole countryside knew where the three prettiest baby doves lived.
One day, a hungry jackal prowling by the rock where the nest was hidden shouted, "Ohe, ohe, mother dove!"
Trembling, the dove asked, "What do you want, sir?"
"One of your children," he said. "If you refuse, I will eat you all."
In terror, the dove threw one chick from the nest to save the others. The jackal ate it and left.
As the dove wept, a heron flew by and asked what was wrong. Hearing her story, the heron said, "You shouldn't have believed him. He could never jump that high. He tricked you for supper." Then he flew away.
Soon, the jackal returned and repeated his threat. This time, the dove boldly refused, knowing he couldn't reach the nest. Frustrated, the jackal asked how she had become so wise.
"The heron told me," she replied.
The jackal asked where the heron went, and the dove pointed toward the reeds. The jackal quickly found the heron standing by the river.
"Tell me, heron," said the jackal, "when the wind blows from that way, which side do you turn to?"
"Which side do you turn to?" asked the heron.
"I turn to this side," said the jackal.
"Then I turn to that side," said the heron.
The jackal asked the same about rain, and each time the heron mimicked his answer. Finally, the jackal asked, "When rain falls straight down, what do you do?"
"What do you do?" asked the heron.
"I cover my head with my paws," said the jackal.
"Then I cover my head with my wings," said the heron, lifting his wings over his head.
In an instant, the jackal seized the heron by the neck.
"Have pity!" cried the heron. "I never harmed you."
"You told the dove how to defy me," said the jackal. "Now I will eat you."
"Spare me," begged the heron, "and I will show you where the panther has her lair."
The jackal held the heron until he pointed out the panther's den, then let him go.
The jackal approached the panther and politely offered to babysit her ten cubs while she hunted. Grateful, the panther trotted off.
Once she was gone, the jackal ate one cub. When the panther returned, he brought out the cubs one by one, but brought the last one out twice, making it seem all ten were there. The panther was satisfied.
Each day, the jackal ate another cub, tricking the panther by repeatedly bringing out the remaining ones. Finally, no cubs were left. The jackal dug an escape hole at the back of the den.
That evening, when the panther asked for her cubs, the jackal said, "Bring them out? You ate them all yourself!"
Confused, the panther entered the cave and found it empty. The jackal had escaped through his hole.
Enraged, the panther chased after him. The jackal reached a rock cleft where bees kept honey and waited.
"Jackal, where are my little ones?" demanded the panther.
"They are up there," said the jackal. "That's where I keep my school."
The panther saw nothing. "Come closer," said the jackal, "and you'll hear them sing beautifully."
As the panther listened by the cleft, the jackal slipped away. A baboon passed by and asked what she was doing.
"I'm listening to my children sing," said the panther. "The jackal keeps his school here."
The baboon poked a stick into the cleft, shouting, "Then let's see your children!"
A swarm of bees burst out, attacking the panther furiously. The baboon climbed a tree, calling, "I wish you joy of your children!" From afar, the jackal's voice cried, "Sting her well! Don't let her go!"
The panther galloped madly and threw herself into a lake, but each time she raised her head, the bees stung her anew until she drowned.