The Blue Jackal
A jackal falls into a vat of dye, turns blue, and declares himself king of the forest.
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A jackal was looking for food at the edge of a village when the dogs came after him. As he fled he dashed into a dyer's yard and fell into a huge vat of blue dye. When he climbed out he was sky-blue from head to tail. When the dogs saw him they were frightened and ran away; they had never seen such an animal.
The jackal went back to the forest. The animals of the forest were startled when they saw him too. Even the lions. The jackal understood the situation at once and spoke in a grand voice: "Do not be afraid. I have been sent from the heavens. It has been commanded that I become king of this forest. Obey me, and I will protect you."
The animals believed him. The lion brought him his prey, the tiger became his guard, the elephant carried him on its back. The blue jackal sat on his rock throne and rained down orders. As for the jackals of his own kind, he said, "These are not worthy of me," and drove them out of the forest.
One night the full moon rose. From far away came the howling of the jackals: "Awooo!" The blue jackal was sitting on his throne. When he heard the sound, something stirred inside him. He could not help himself. He lifted his head and howled with all his might: "Awoooo!"
In an instant the forest fell silent. The lion, the tiger and the elephant looked at one another. "That sound... that is a jackal's voice!" They came closer and looked carefully; they saw the brown fur showing through under the blue dye.
The blue jackal climbed down from his throne and ran. There was nowhere left for him to stay: the animals of the forest did not want him, and the jackals he had driven out would not take him back.
Kalila told Dimna this story and said: "If you pretend to be someone you are not, one day your own voice will give you away. And whoever looks down on their own kind has nowhere left to return to."
The tale ends here. Sleep well.
The Blue Jackal is a children's tale from Kalila and Dimna, suitable for ages 4-9 and about 2 minutes long. Read it free on Masal Merkezi, play a lullaby or nature sound in the background, tap any word to see its Turkish meaning and save it to your favorites. For similar tales browse the Kalila and Dimna category.
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