Story Summary
Discover how a hedgehog and a tortoise teamed up to outsmart a jaguar in Kipling's The Beginning of the Armadillos, a classic tale of clever adaptation.
In the High Amazon, Painted Jaguar was a young hunter whose mother taught him that a Hedgehog curls into a prickle-ball and a Tortoise hides in his shell. However, the clever Stickly-Prickly Hedgehog and Slow-Solid Tortoise decided to confuse him. To escape the Jaguar's claws, the Hedgehog practiced swimming like a Tortoise, and the Tortoise practiced curling his back like a Hedgehog. As they swapped skills, their shells and quills began to change. The Tortoise's plates softened and joined, while the Hedgehog's prickles smoothed into scales. When Painted Jaguar next encountered them, he was baffled to find two creatures that could both swim and curl, their bodies now covered in overlapping armor. Mother Jaguar realized they had become something entirely new. Thus, through cooperation and exercise, the first Armadillos were born, forever protected by the clever scales they developed to outwit their foe.
The Moral
Adaptability and cooperation allow the weak to overcome the strong.
“Can’t curl, but can swim—Slow-Solid, that’s him! Curls up, but can’t swim—Stickly-Prickly, that’s him!”
Fun Fact
Rudyard Kipling wrote the Just So Stories for his daughter Josephine, who insisted they be told 'just so' or exactly the same every time.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the moral of The Beginning of the Armadillos?
The moral is that adaptability and teamwork are essential for survival. By learning new skills and working together, the characters transformed their weaknesses into a unique strength.
Which animals turn into the armadillo in Kipling's story?
In this classic fable, a hedgehog named Stickly-Prickly and a tortoise named Slow-Solid transform into the very first armadillos.
How do the hedgehog and tortoise trick the jaguar?
They confuse the Jaguar by swapping their natural behaviors; the hedgehog learns to swim and the tortoise learns to curl, making the Jaguar question his mother's hunting instructions.
Who wrote The Beginning of the Armadillos?
The story was written by Rudyard Kipling as part of his famous 1902 collection titled 'Just So Stories'.
Where does the story take place?
The story is set in the High Amazon, featuring the exotic wildlife and lush riverbanks of South America.
Why did the animals need to change their shapes?
They needed to change because the Painted Jaguar was learning how to bypass their individual defenses; by merging their traits, they created a new, impenetrable defense.
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