Once upon a time, there was a hungry Jackal.

He tried to catch a bush rat, but the rat ran away.

He tried to catch a squirrel, but the squirrel ran up a tree. Then Jackal saw a fat little mouse. "That mouse looks delicious to eat," he thought.

The mouse saw Jackal. It ran under a big rock, and jumped into its hole.

"I must dig the mouse out of its hole," thought Jackal.

Jackal began to dig. But he dug too far and too deep. The rock fell down on Jackal's paw. He couldn't pull his paw out from under the rock.

"I'm trapped! Help! Help!" Jackal shouted.

Rabbit heard Jackal and ran up to him. "What happened to you?" she asked.

"I was hunting a mouse and this rock fell on my paw. Please, kind Rabbit, help me!" cried Jackal.

"I'd like to help you," said Rabbit. "But I'm small and weak and this rock is big and heavy. It will be hard work. What will you give me if I help you?"

"Oh, I'll make all your favourite dishes for dinner," replied Jackal.

So Rabbit agreed to help Jackal.

Rabbit pushed the rock. It didn't move. She pushed again and again and again.

At last the rock rolled off Jackal's paw. Rabbit smiled.

"Where's my reward?" asked Rabbit. "There's no reward. I'm going to eat you," snarled Jackal.

"But I helped you! You promised a reward!" shouted Rabbit. "I'm a jackal and you're a rabbit. Jackals eat rabbits," snapped Jackal.

"Wait! We must find elders and ask advice," begged Rabbit.

Jackal and Rabbit found an old man.

"Please help us," Rabbit said. "Jackal wants to eat me but I saved his life. A rock was on his paw and he couldn't escape. He promised to reward me. I pushed the rock off his paw. He has forgotten his promise."

"That's not right," the old man said. "Jackal, you are ungrateful."

Jackal opened his mouth. He showed the old man his sharp teeth. "No," he said. "Don't try to stop me eating the rabbit, old man, or I'll eat you too."

The old man looked frightened.

"Please don't eat me," the old man said. "Perhaps I was wrong. Perhaps you are right after all. I can't decide until I have seen the rock. What happened exactly?"

"Oh, that's easy," Jackal said. "Come, let me show you."

So the old man went back to the rock with Jackal and Rabbit. "What were you doing?" he asked Jackal.

"The mouse I was hunting ran into its hole, so I was digging it out. The rock fell on to my paw," said Jackal.

"Which rock?" asked the old man. "This one," answered Jackal. "And where were you?" asked the old man. "I was here," Jackal replied.

The old man looked at Rabbit. "You're only a little rabbit, small and weak. I don't believe you could move that big rock," the man said.

"But I did! I did!" cried Rabbit. "Show me then," the old man said.

Rabbit pushed and pushed. The rock fell back on to Jackal's paw.

"Did you find Jackal like this?" asked the old man. Rabbit nodded.

"Good," said the old man. "Then it's all fair now. Run away Rabbit and go home. I'm going home too."

And so, the old man and Rabbit went away.

They left the ungrateful Jackal trapped by the rock.