A jackal, fleeing some dogs, tumbled into a vat of blue dye and came out a strange and startling blue. The other animals had never seen such a creature and, frightened, declared him their king.
The blue jackal happily played the part, ruling proudly and keeping his old jackal family at a distance so no one would guess the truth.
But one moonlit night the other jackals began to howl, and the blue ‘king’ could not help howling back. At once everyone knew what he really was, and his short reign was over.