Indian Fairy Tales · Chapter
The Lambikin explained
A tiny lambikin sets off to visit his granny, promising predators he will return fatter.
What happens
A tiny lambikin sets off to visit his granny, promising predators he will return fatter. After gorging himself for seven days, he hides inside a drum made from his brother's skin to avoid being eaten. He tricks several animals, but the clever jackal recognizes his voice and devours him.
Themes in this chapter
Cunning and Wisdom
Lambikin uses clever promises and a disguise to evade predators, but the jackal's sharper cunning ultimately prevails.
Greed and Its Consequences
Lambikin's greed for food and his overconfidence in his trickery lead to his downfall when the jackal outsmarts him.
Characters to notice
- Lambikin
The cunning little lamb who outwits predators by promising to grow fatter, then hides in a drum to escape.
- Granny
Lambikin's grandmother who feeds him and makes the drumikin from his brother's skin.
- The Jackal
The first predator to meet Lambikin and the only one who sees through the drumikin disguise.
Key passages
“To Granny’s house I go, Where I shall fatter grow, Then you can eat me so.”
Lambikin promises predators that he will return from his grandmother's house plumper, so they should wait to eat him.
This repeated rhyme shows Lambikin's clever strategy to delay being eaten.
“Fallen into the fire, and so will you On little Drumikin. Tum-pa, tum-too!”
Lambikin, hidden inside the drum, tells each animal that the lamb has perished in a fire, warning them they will meet the same fate.
This trick allows Lambikin to pass safely until the jackal recognizes his voice.