Just So Stories characters

Appears from the start

A voracious whale who has eaten nearly every kind of fish in the sea. His hunger drives the collection's first explanation of how an animal acquired one of its defining features.

First appears in chapter 2

An idle animal in the newly made world who stays in the desert rather than help the Horse, Dog, and Ox work for Man. He answers every request with the same refusal until the Djinn responsible for the deserts comes to investigate.

First appears in chapter 3

A bad-tempered, ill-mannered animal who initially has a smooth, close-fitting hide. He interrupts the Parsee's meal on an island in the Red Sea and later leaves his removable skin unattended while he bathes.

First appears in chapter 4

A hunter whose original sandy coloring works poorly after the other animals move into a shadowy forest. He consults his human hunting companion about how both of them might become less visible among patches of light and shade.

First appears in chapter 4

The Leopard's clever human companion and fellow hunter. He recognizes that the forest animals have changed their appearance to match their new surroundings and proposes that he and the Leopard adapt as well.

First appears in chapter 5

An endlessly curious young elephant who lives in Africa when elephants still have short noses. His relatives discourage questions, but he remains determined to learn what the Crocodile eats for dinner and sets out to ask directly.

Also known as Old Man Kangaroo

First appears in chapter 6

A proud Australian animal who asks to be made different from all others, then popular and admired. His repeated demands reach the god Nqong, who chooses a demanding way to grant them.

First appears in chapter 7

A small forest animal with a soft covering who is threatened by Painted Jaguar. Working with Tortoise, he exploits the Jaguar's uncertainty about which prey should be pulled from its shell and which should be dropped into water.

First appears in chapter 7

Hedgehog's shelled companion beside the Amazon. Tortoise joins in a coordinated lesson that confuses Painted Jaguar and requires both friends to practice one another's defenses.

Also known as Taffy

First appears in chapter 8

The inventive young daughter of Tegumai and Teshumai. When her father's spear breaks during a fishing trip, she tries to send a request for another spear by drawing a message for a stranger who cannot understand her language.

Also known as Tegumai

First appears in chapter 8

Taffy's patient father, a tribal man described as quiet and practical. He takes her fishing and lets her experiments proceed, even when her attempt to communicate by pictures produces unexpected trouble.

First appears in chapter 10

A giant crab from the beginning of the world who secretly leaves the Pusat Tasek twice each day. His movements disturb the ocean and threaten the newly settled life of Man and the other creatures.

Also known as The Cat that Walked by Himself

First appears in chapter 11

The most independent of the wild animals when Woman begins domesticating them. Cat wants the warmth and food of the cave without surrendering his freedom, so he watches from outside and looks for promises he can make Woman grant.

First appears in chapter 11

The organizer of the first human home. By offering food and shelter she brings Dog, Horse, and Cow from the wild into service, then negotiates carefully when Cat tries to gain the cave's comforts without accepting the same bargain.

Also known as Solomon

First appears in chapter 12

A powerful and wise king who can command animals, winds, and spirits with a magical ring. Though able to perform wonders, he is troubled by disorder in his enormous household and reluctant to use his power merely to prove himself.