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KEY:

ELEANOR
BETH
KERRI
Jabu and the Lion – Retelling (part 2) JACOB
SARAH
ELEANOR

Kwasuka sukela… Once there was a young boy named Jabu. He was a herd boy and he was
great at looking after his cows. His father's pride could be seen as he let Jabu look after such
a large herd of cows, more than 25! One day Jabu's friend Sipo came running over and said

"Have you heard the news, my friend? Bhubesi, the lion, has been seen in these parts. Last
night Bhubesi attacked and killed on of Thabo's father's cows. The men in the village are
already setting up traps for the beast."

Jabu knew a lion had been in the area. He respected the king of the beasts but was
surprised a cow had been eaten. It's probably because the herdboy was lazy.

BETH TAKES OVER

“Come and put your cows away for the day and watch with me as the men set the traps!”

said Sipho. But Jabu was committed to his job, and knew that it would be selfish of him to
put his cows away so early in the day.

“I cannot put the cattle back into the kraal so early in the day! They need to be driven to the
river before they go home.”

So Sipho left Jabu to his work and ran towards the commotion in the town. Jabu rounded up
his cows and lead them to the river where they could drink. Whilst the cows quenched their
thirst, Jabu bathed his feet in the river and relaxed as the Autumn sun gently warmed him.

Suddenly, Jabu heard a sound which made ice shoot through his entire body…

“Rrrrrrroooooaaaaarrrrrrrrr!”

It was Bhubesi, the lion, and from the sounds of it he was much too close for comfort! Jabu
instantly panicked as he knew he didn’t have enough time to herd all of his cows back home
to safety.

He stood up and tried with all his might not to show the fear that was eating him up inside
as he herded the cattle into a tight circle. The cows trusted Jabu and followed him without
dispute. Then again they heard

“Rrrrooooarrrrr....oarrr….oarrrr….aaaa!”

But Jabu realised this time that this was not a roar of power, but was instead a cry for help.
After several more bellows Jabu was sure that Bhubesi the lion was in trouble. Hearing the
fear in the lion’s cry made Jabu abandon all of his own fear, and he peacefully began to walk
towards the beast’s whimper.

Jabu found the lion caught in one of the traps which had been set out by the men of the
village. He was firmly stuck in between the bars of the trap, and it seemed that the more he
struggled for freedom, the tighter the trap ensnared him. Jabu stared in awe at the ‘King of
the Jungle’ – he had never seen a lion so close before. He truly was majestic. Seeing the lion
trapped like this made a big part of Jabu’s heart ache. The lion noticed Jabu staring at him
and cried

“Hawu! Mfana! It is good that you are here. Please, help me.”

KERRI TAKES OVER

Jabu was no fool as he had a tender heart.

“I would very much like to free you, Bhubesi! But I am afraid that as soon as I did you would
make me your dinner.”

“Oh, no, Ngane wami!”

Said Bhubesi.

“I could never eat someone who set me free! I promise, I really promise with full sincerity
that I will not touch a hair on your head!”

Bhubesi pleaded with Jabu so much that Jabu gave in and decided to let him free. Jabu
carefully approached the trap and let Bhubesi free. Soon after Bhubesi lept free and
thanked Jabu for letting him free.

“Oh thank you, Mfana! One last thing… I have become so thirsty from being in that trap, I
could really do with some water. Can you please show me where the river is? I seem have
become confused with my directions.”

With a wary eye Jabu agreed. He led Bhubesi upstream from where they had come, making
sure that he was far away from his father’s cows. As Bhubesi was drinking the water he was
watching Jabu with one eye. He thought to himself

“Hmmm… nice looking legs on that boy and those arms look pretty good too! It would be
such a shame to waste an excellent meal!”

Bhubesi locked eyes on Jabu. Jabu realised what was about to happen and began to back
away from Bhubesi.

“You promised Bhubesi! I saved you from the hunters and you promised not to eat me!”

“Yes…”
said Bhubesi, slowly walking towards Jabu.

“I did make that promise. But somehow now that I am free I don’t want to keep the promise,
I am awfully hungry.”

“You are making a big mistake! Don’t you know that if you break your promises that the
pieces of the broken promises will come to pierce you?”

JACOB TAKES OVER

The Lion paused and bellowed,


“Hah, what nonsense! How can such a flimsy thing pierce me?! I am more determined than
ever you eat you now, boy”
and he pressed forward to Jabu again.
“And all of this is just serving to make me hungrier”.
Then out of nowhere an ancient Donkey appeared between them.
“Ask the Donkey”
said Jabu to the Lion.
“ask him and he will tell you how bad it is to break a promise”.
“He wana! You’re certainly dragging this out! So I will ask the Donkey”.
The lion whipped round to face the Donkey,
“I want to eat this boy”
he told the Donkey.
“isn’t that okay?”
Jabu added
“but he promised to let me go after I freed him from the snare”.
The Donkey moaned
“I say, that all my life these stupid humans have beat me and forced me to carry things. Now
that I am old they turn me out and leave me to waste away all alone. I don’t like humans.
Eat the boy.”
and the Donkey left.
“Well that settles that”
said the Lion lurking towards Jabu, just then a Jackal intervened.
“Oh, terribly sorry to have disturbed you, I’ll be on my way.”
“No!”
shouted Jabu.
“wait and tell the Lion how bad it is to break a promise.”
“A promise?! Well I suppose it depends upon the promise doesn’t it? Why? Did one of you
break a promise?”

SARAH TAKES OVER

“Yes”

Jabu said. And he told Jackal how he had freed the lion from the trap, and how lion had
promised not to eat him, even though he was planning to do that very thing.

“Oh, what a silly story!”

said Jackal.

“My Nkosi, the great King of all the animals, stuck in a little trap made by humans?
Impossible I don’t believe it.”

“It is true”

said Bhubesi.

“It is a strong and terrible trap!”

“Oh, I can’t believe anything is stronger than my king. I must see this thing! Please, will you
take the courtesy before your dinner to show me this trap that you are speaking about?
Please! Then you can eat your meal in peace!”

So the lion, keeping Jabu in front of himself, led Jackal to the trap.

“But you can’t tell me that this little thing could actually hold your head! Never! I just can’t
imagine it. Nkosi, would you mind just sticking your head there so I can see how you looked
when the boy found you?”

“Hawu. You are taxing me with your questions. This last thing I will do for you and then you
must be on your way and leave me to my dinner in peace.”
So lion stuck his head back between the bars just the way he was wen Jabu found him.
Then, quicker than lightening, Jackal threw the top bar in place. Lion was caught fast once
again!

“Yes, now I see how you were trapped. What a pity that you are so trapped once more. But
the boy is right, Nkosi. Broken promises always catch up with you!”

Lion roared in anger, but the trap held him well. Jabu thanked the Jackal and ran back to his
cows. They were waiting patiently for Jabu’s return and were put back into the kraal. What a
day he had had!

“Jabu, Jabu”

Sipho came running from behind Jabu.

“The lion has been caught in the trap near the river! You and your cows missed all the
adventure!”

Jabu turned and smiled at his friend.

“We have had all the adventure we need for one day”

he said. And as Sipho headed back to the hunters to hear the story once again of the mighty
lion caught in the trap, Jabu greeted his mother and sat down with a sigh.

THE END

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