African Tale
How the Cheetah Got Her Marks
This fairy tale from Africa tells of a dishonest hunter who stole the young cheetah from its mother in order to make hunting game easier. The tale shows how important it is to act honestly in life.


Once upon a time, there lived a powerful king who had an exceptionally beautiful daughter. As the princess walked about the meadows one day, a terrible dragon
The king was devastated when he heard the news. He declared he would reward anyone who would save his daughter from Hell with the whole kingdom and the princess’s hand in
One day, a brave son of a poor widow arrived. He stepped in front of the king to ask if he could try to rescue the princess as well. The king repeated his promise and the young lad set off on his way.
He kept asking everyone he met whether he was on the right path to Hell, but no one knew the answer – until finally, he chanced upon a dirty old woman, who looked so weak and feeble he didn’t even think to ask her anything.
Instead, she came to him herself: “Where are you going, young man?”
“Oh, I am trying to find the way to
“I see, my friend,” said the woman, reaching under her arm. “Well, if you are heading to Hell, you’re going to need this branch. On your way, you will meet a black rooster. You have to catch him and pull out one of his feathers. Then you will come across a black billy goat who will try to ram you with his horns. You will have to take a bristle from his chin.”
The woman gave…