Traditional | Pakistan
The Painted Jackal
A jackal dyed blue pretends to be a peacock, but his failure to mimic one leads to rejection by his friends.
One day, a sneaky jackal fell into a big tub full of blue dye. When he got out, his fur was bright sky-blue! He went back home, and all the other jackals stared at him in surprise.
“What happened to you?” they asked.
The jackal flicked his tail and said proudly, “Isn’t it obvious? I’m not just any jackal anymore. Look at me! I’m so special! From now on, don’t call me a ‘jackal’ ever again.”
“What should we call you then?” they asked.
The jackal lifted his head high and said, “Call me Pearooster. I’m as beautiful as a pearooster now!” He strutted around, showing off his blue fur.
But the other jackals weren’t convinced. “If you’re a pearooster,” one of them said, “can you spread your tail beautifully like a pearooster does?”
The jackal stopped and said, “Well… no, I can’t do that.”
“And can you make the proud, special cry that a pearooster makes?” asked another.
The jackal lowered his head and admitted, “No, I can’t do that either.”
“Then it’s clear,” they said. “You’re not a jackal anymore, but you’re definitely not a pearooster either!”
The other jackals laughed at him and sent him away.
