Tink-Tinkje

The birds decided they needed a king. People have a king, and so do the animals, so why not the birds? They all came together to choose one.

“The ostrich, because he is the biggest,” someone called.

“No, he cannot fly.”

“The eagle, then, because he is so strong.”

“Not him. He is too ugly.”

“The vulture, because he flies higher than anyone.”

“No, the vulture is too dirty, and he smells dreadful.”

“The peacock, because he is so beautiful.”

“His feet are ugly, and so is his voice.”

“The owl, because he sees so well.”

“Not the owl. He hides from the daylight.”

And so they argued and got nowhere. At last someone shouted, “Whoever flies the highest shall be king!” “Yes, yes!” screamed all the birds, and at the signal they all shot straight up into the sky.

The vulture flew for three whole days without stopping, straight toward the sun. Then he cried out, “I am the highest! I am king!”

“T-sie, t-sie, t-sie,” came a tiny voice above him. It was Tink-tinkje, the smallest bird of all. He had been clinging to one of the vulture’s great wing feathers the whole time, and he was so light that the vulture had never felt him. “T-sie, t-sie, t-sie! I am the highest! I am king!” piped Tink-tinkje.

The vulture flew on for another day, still climbing. “I am the highest! I am king!”

“T-sie, t-sie, t-sie! I am the highest! I am king!” mocked Tink-tinkje, who had crept out from under the vulture’s wing and popped up above him again.

On the fifth day the vulture flew straight up once more. “I am the highest! I am king!” he called.

“T-sie, t-sie, t-sie,” piped the little bird above him. “I am the highest! I am king!”

By now the vulture was worn out, and he flew straight back down to earth. The other birds were furious. Tink-tinkje had cheated by hiding in the vulture’s feathers, and they said he must die. They all chased him, and he had to dive into a mouse hole to hide.

But how could they get him out? Someone would have to stand guard and grab him the moment he poked his head out. “The owl must keep watch,” they said. “He has the biggest eyes. He can see best.”

So the owl took his place in front of the hole. But the sun was warm, and soon the owl grew sleepy, and before long he was fast asleep.

Tink-tinkje peeped out, saw that the owl was sleeping, and z-zip! away he went. A little later the other birds came back to see whether he was still in the hole. “T-sie, t-sie,” they heard from a tree nearby, and there sat the little rascal.

The white crow was so disgusted that he turned around and said, “Now I won’t say another word.” The storyteller ends by saying that the white crow has kept silent ever since.

Where this story comes from

“Tink-Tinkje” is a tale from the Cape, printed in English by James A. Honey in South-African Folk-Tales (1910). Honey’s collection draws on several southern African traditions. Here Tink-tinkje is a tiny talking bird; the story’s days-long flight belongs to fantasy.

The contest of birds to choose a king, won by a small bird hiding on a big one, is told all over the world. This version adds two endings of its own: the owl who falls asleep on guard, and the white crow who gives up speaking.

Read the original: James A. Honey, South-African Folk-Tales (Project Gutenberg)

Best for ages 6–8 — a lively bird contest with a tiny trickster.

A contest does not answer every question

The birds reject candidates for appearance and habits, then settle on height as if that proves fitness to rule. Tink-tinkje exposes a loophole: the rule does not say how the height must be reached. Calling the trick unfair is different from deciding that he should die. The owl’s failure then shows another mistaken assumption—large eyes alone do not ensure a good guard.

Write the missing rule

Revise the contest so every bird knows what help is allowed. Then suggest a peaceful way to settle a disputed result. Would winning this contest make a bird a good king?

Talk about it

• Why did the birds turn down the ostrich, the eagle and the peacock?
• Was Tink-tinkje clever, or did he cheat? What do you think?
• Why do you think the white crow decided never to speak again?

Related stories

• The Willow-Wren and the Bear — another tiny bird who outwits bigger creatures
• The Lioness and the Ostrich — a South African animal tale
• The Judgment of Baboon — another tale from southern Africa