The Jackal and the War Drum

Once upon a time there lived a Jackal.  He was the leader of the pack.  But none of the other jackals liked him.  So one day they decided to chase him away.  "Go away!  We do not want you with us anymore."

The poor jackal wandered through the jungle.  He felt very lonely.  He was also hungry for he had not eaten for many days.  "I feel so weak.  I hope to find some food soon" thought the hungry jackal.

As he wandered through the jungle, he suddenly heard a terrible noise.  It was coming from behind a tree.  The jackal ran for his life.  "Eeek!  There must be a terrible creature there!"

But after running some distance, the jackal realized that the noise had stopped.  Then it came again and then it stopped.  "Strange!  The noise comes every time there's a breeze.  Let me go back and see." decided the jackal.

The jackal was surprised and relieved to see that it was only an old war drum under the tree.  Just then a branch of the tree moved in the breeze and brushed against the war drum.  The terrible noise came again.  "So this is why there was such a terrible noise!" exclaimed the jackal.

The jackal was also delighted to find a lot of food lying there.  Some soldiers who had camped there had left both the war drum and the food behind.  The jackal enjoyed the meal while saying to himself,  "Mmm!  Had I not come back, I would not have found this food."

Moral:

• Fortune favors the brave.