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Tokoloshe And The Three Little Fox Cubs

Once there were three little bat-eared fox cubs. They lived with their mother and father in a snug den in the ground. A small, sparkling stream ran nearby. The foxes liked to catch and eat fat, black beetles and other crunchy insects under the bushes around their den and near the stream.

Mother fox always said to her three cubs, “You can catch beetles near our den. But you must never, ever cross over the stream.”

In the early morning, before the sun rose, mother and father fox went out to hunt for food. “Be good,” said mother fox to her three cubs. “And, remember, do not cross over the stream! And you, my big cub, don’t you go leading your brother and sister into trouble.”

The three fox cubs looked at each other.

“There are lots of fat, black beetles on the other side of the stream,” said the biggest cub. “Quick, let’s go and get some while mother and father are away.”

So he crossed over the stream. ‘Splosh…splosh…splosh’, he went.

Nothing happened.

He scampered into the bushes on the other side of the stream to look for fat, black beetles.

The second cub crossed over the stream. ‘Splash…splash…splash’, he went.

Nothing happened.

So he also scampered into the bushes to look for fat, black beetles.

Then the smallest cub started to cross over the stream. ‘Splish…splish…’, she went. But before she had crossed to the other side, she heard a cross, grumpy voice.

“Who is that crossing over my stream?” growled the voice.

“It’s only me, the smallest little fox cub,” she said, looking around her with wide frightened eyes. But she couldn’t see who the grumpy voice belonged to.

Then, with a nasty cackling laugh, an ugly tokoloshe stuck his head out from behind a rock. “Heh! heh! heh! Well then,” he snarled through his sharp, crooked teeth, “I’m going to eat you up little fox.”

“No! No! No!” she cried out. “You can’t eat me up. I’m too small. You’ll have to wait until I’ve eaten lots of fat, black beetles.” And quickly, she hopped right over the last few rocks in the stream and ran to tell her brothers about the tokoloshe.

The three fox cubs were worried. “How are we going to get back over the stream? We don’t want the tokoloshe to eat you up little sister,” said the middle cub.

“No! No! I don’t want him to eat me up,” said the smallest fox cub with a shiver. “He’s got such an ugly face, and…and…he’s got such long, sharp teeth!”

“I know! Let’s trick him!” said her big brother. “You go first, and I’ll cross the stream last. Then he’ll think it’s you who’s coming at the end, like we did just now.”

So they all ate lots of fat, black beetles to get strong.

Then the smallest cub crossed over the stream first. ‘Splish…splash…splosh’, she went, making as much noise as she could.

Nothing happened.

The middle cub crossed over the stream next. ‘Splash…splash…splash’, he went.

Nothing happened.

Then the biggest fox cub started to cross over.

‘Splish…splash’, he went, trying to sound small. Then he ducked down and hid behind a rock.

“Well, well, little fox,” growled the tokoloshe, “after eating all those beetles, you must be nice and fat. Now I’m really going to eat you up.”

As the tokoloshe stuck his snarly head up, the biggest fox cub jumped out from his rock, right behind the tokoloshe. With a snap of his sharp teeth, he bit through the his scrawny neck. His ugly head fell off with a plop in the water.

Then, with a skip and a loud ‘splosh’, the biggest cub crossed over the stream to join the others, and they all started to scamper back towards their den.

But just at that moment, mother and father fox came through the bushes.

“Oh – Oh!” whispered the biggest fox cub. “Now we’re in for trouble!”

Mother fox was very angry. “Where have you been – I told you never to cross over the stream!” mother fox scolded. “Go into the den, all of you! And don’t you dare come out until I tell you!”

The three cubs hung their heads. With their tails between their legs they crawled into the den. They curled up together with their noses touching.

“ You must tell mother that you’ve killed the bad tokoloshe, big brother,” whispered the middle cub.

The biggest cub thought for a bit. He shook his head sadly. “She won’t believe me,” he said. “You know I’m always in trouble with her. She’ll think I’m just lying to get out of it. And then she’ll be even more angry. No, I can’t do that.”

“Well, I’ll tell her then!” said the smallest cub. “She always believes me. And you have killed that nasty tokoloshe, big brother. It’s the truth!”

At last mother fox put her nose into the den. “Now, I hope you’re all sorry for being so naughty,” she said. “And you my big cub, you should have known better than to lead your brother and sister across the stream. Its very dangerous to do that. There’s a fierce tokoloshe there who could kill you. So don’t you ever do it again!”

Then the smallest cub lifted her head. “But mother, you don’t know what really happened,” she piped up in her little voice. “We tricked the tokoloshe. And big brother bit his head right off.”

“Hmm,” said mother fox, looking hard at each of her three cubs.

“Yes he did, mother, truly!” added the middle fox cub. His head fell with a plop right into the water. Now that ugly tokoloshe can’t stop us crossing over the stream.”

“Really? Well, well! I’m not so sure,” said mother fox. And she looked long and hard at her biggest fox cub. But he just kept his head down. He didn’t say a word.

“That tokoloshe is very clever – and he’s strong and fierce. Your father and I know. I think we’d better go and see whether you’re telling the truth,” she said. “You three stay right here until we come back.”

After what seemed a very long time, the cubs heard mother and father fox coming into the den. And what do you think - they were both smiling and wagging their tails!

“It’s true! Its true! We saw his ugly head lying right there in the water!” mother fox exclaimed. “What brave little foxes you’ve been! And you, my big cub, are cleverer and stronger than I thought. Well done!”

“Now, at last, you can all cross to the other side of the stream and eat as many fat, black beetles as you want,” said father fox.

And mother fox smiled and gave each of her cubs a gentle lick behind their big, soft ears.

Teacher/Parent Notes

Children are unlikely to know much about bat-eared foxes. After you have read this story to them, or they have read it themselves, they may want to know more about these foxes. This would be a good opportunity to explain some facts about these wonderful animals that live in our country.

Bat-eared foxes are the oldest fox species in the world. Because they have been around for a very long time, they have evolved some amazing physical features. In this way they have become finely adapted to their specific habitat and way of living.

Their diet consists mainly of beetles, scorpions, ants, locusts, spiders and other insects. They have developed very large, sensitive ears that help them hear the smallest sound of insects under rocks, in the ground, or rustling in the bushes. It is because of these big ears, which look something like bat’s ears, that they are called ‘Bat-eared foxes’.

Because they need to disarm the stings and pincers of their prey, they have also developed rows of many very sharp teeth: up to fifty teeth in their long pointed jaws. With a special muscle which they have evolved at the back of their jaws, they are able to chew very rapidly: five chews per second. Enough to crunch up any insect in a flash!

In much of southern Africa, bat-eared foxes are a highly threatened species. Man has progressively changed or destroyed their natural habitat to which they have become so finely tuned. Some are hunted because they are believed to be predators, like jackals. But they are not. They cause no harm at all to man’s domestic stock. When they are out hunting at night, many are also dazzled by the lights of cars and are ruthlessly run over.

It is important for everyone to know the facts about these creatures. They play a crucial role in maintaining the balance of insects in our environment – many of which are pests if their numbers get out of hand. Thus, the bat-eared foxes actually benefit us and our environment. And they do no harm to us at all.

We must try to save them from extinction! You and your children can help.

Acknowledgement:

The original people who, over generations, told their children the story of the ‘Three Billy Goats Gruff’, or its equivalent, lived in Northern Europe, with a different culture, and at a different time to our own. In African culture, Tokoloshe (or his other different names) is a mythical and ugly evil doer – not unlike the Troll who features in the ‘Three Billy Goats Gruff’. Both the Tokoloshe and the Troll have, at times, been used by parents to scare naughty children into obedience.

The story that is told here attempts to bring the many depths of psychological meaning for young children, which the original fairy tale carried, into the more familiar context in which we live. In the process, it may also help children to learn about and to love our own wild animals.