The Hyena and the Jackal's Children

The Hyena and the Jackal were neighbours. The Hyena gave birth to her pup, which was ugly and blotchy. The Jackal also gave birth to her pup, which was sleek and beautifully marked. The Hyena was very jealous. She went to the Jackal and said, "Let us swap children for a day, so they may learn to play with others." The trusting Jackal agreed. That night, a leopard attacked the Hyena's den. The Hyena, in her haste to save her own child, grabbed the beautiful jackal pup by mistake and ran to safety, leaving her own ugly pup to be eaten by the leopard. When she realized her mistake, she was filled with a strange mix of grief and satisfaction. The story is a complex one, told to explore the "dark" side of envy and maternal instinct, and to explain why hyenas are seen as clumsy, treacherous, and ultimately self-defeating creatures.