Jackal and Honeybadger used to live in the same village, and Jackal married Honeybadger's daughter.
One day, Honeybadger brewed some honey-beer and invited his son-in-law to come drink. Jackal came with all his wives and all his children, and they drank. They drank all day, they drank all night, and they were still drinking the next morning.
By noon the next day, they were all very drunk.
Jackal staggered off in one direction, one wife in a different direction, another wife in another direction, the children likewise, and that is why to this day jackals do not live in packs.
[an Ila story from Zambia]
Inspired by: "Why Jackals Do not Got in Herds" in The Ila-Speaking Peoples Of Northern Rhodesia, Volume 2 by Edwin Smith and Andrew Murray Dale, 1920.
Notes: You can read the original story online. The story says "weasel" (and there is indeed a small striped weasel found in Zimbabwe), but it seems more likely that this would be the ratel, or honey-badger in English.
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