In the beginning, before light first shone upon the Kalahari, there existed only the three; Shumusi (the sun), Mwezi (the moon), and Mthama, the Great Mother. Although the three were friends, Shumusi and Mwezi were more interested in each other than with Mthama, and she longed to have children, and asked for the aid of her only companions, who obliged. With His powerful rays, Shumusi brought into existence the world, and in turn, the Kalahari. Mwezi, with Her gentle and loving glow, brought the rains to the world and created the plants. Finally, with a backdrop to work with, Mthama came down to the Kalahari, and among the plants, created the animals that would fill the world with life.
For a long time, Mthama was happy, as were Her children, but in time, Her children asked Her for more siblings, for numerous as they were, the Kalahari and the world were still very empty. Happy to oblige, Mthama again went to work and created the wild dogs, who love to smile and play. But something had gone terribly wrong, and the dogs could not see or hear Mthama, and could see Shumusi and Mwezi only as shining and glowing circles in the sky. They contended that such fantastical being as these "creators" could not possibly exist and that they simply were, and gave it not a second thought. Mthama wept, but Her children comforted Her, saying that if that was to be their way, that was their way, and that Mthama should try again with the knowledge She now had.
Once more creating new siblings for Her children, Mthama carefully created the jackals, who did not smile or play as much as the wild dogs, but who were aware of their origins and paid respect to Mthama for their birth. However, even this new happiness was not to last, for one day the oldest and most respected jackal, Kifo, began to stalk the Kalahari to hunt the pups of all animals. Claiming that he had been empowered the great Usiku (the night), he was no longer beholden to Mthama, or to Shumusi or Mwezi either, and try as they might, the three were unable to successfully hunt Kifo themselves. Once more, They set to work.
Along with His great strength, Shumusi created the lions from His courage, and the leopards from His subtly, to hunt Kifo and drive him away from the other animals. With Her wisdom and cunning, Mwezi created the hyenas and taught them magic, to guide others in times of darkness. And finally, gathering the blood and spirit of those slain by Kifo, Mthama combined them with small bits of Her own soul to create the meerkats, who would be ever vigilant and watch for Kifo wherever he may hide. Between the four, they were able to chase Kifo from the Kalahari and into the dark Shadowlands.
However, Shumusi and Mwezi once again left and became inattentive to all but their own creations, and as a result, the lions came to consider themselves the lords of the Kalahari. The leopards were content to sit alone, eating and sleeping their days away and the hyenas, for all their wisdom, we more interested in arcane rituals that served no one but them. Only the meerkats remained vigilant, although they were less able to watch for Kifo because they no longer had the support from their larger siblings. It was because of this that Kifo was able to sneak back into the Kalahari and begin devouring every meerkat he could find, for the lions and leopards were too dangerous and the hyenas too elusive. Despite desperately trying, Mthama was again unable to stop him, and not eager to ask Shumusi and Mwezi for help again, She devised a plan.
She sent a dream to the meerkat Duna, showing him Kifo devouring every meerkat but ignoring every rock he found. Inspired, when Kifo did descend upon Duna's mob, the meerkat rolled in the dust and laid very still. Mistaking him for a rock, Kifo ignored him and moved on. Now free of Kifo's vengeful eye, Duna silently followed him around until he went to sleep, tired from gorging himself. Sneaking close-by, the resourceful meerkat chewed a hole in the jackal's stomach, and the meerkats that had been eaten all escaped. Enraged but forced to flee when Shumusi began to creep over the horizon (and knowing that lion would find him in the bright light), Kifo fled but spoke to as many jackals as he could find along his way, telling them what Duna had done. Insulted, the jackals resolved from that day that they would hunt meerkats in revenge. Now wise to Kifo's tricks, and in turn, the tricks of all jackals, meerkats began to stand on their legs, on top of rocks and trees whenever they could, so that their sharp eyes would see danger approaching from a long way off.
The most important lesson, however, came from a revelation of Mthama, who discovered why Kifo had been chosen by Usiku. Over the course of his life, his blood had become bad, and he became evil. Fearful that this was likewise happening to the lions, leopards and hyenas, Mthama informed Duna immediately, telling them that only those who were strong would be able to resist. Taking Her words to heart, Duna gathered all the meerkats together and told them that they must be from then on careful, so that only the strongest and purest would breed to prevent bad blood from spreading among them. To this end, he designated that the strongest female of each family, the Ardhi, would be the stone which would keep them all strong, while the strongest male, the Anga, would be the dreamer who would carry them through the ages. It is in this way that the meerkats have survived, and the way which they will survive for all time.