The first two stories are essentially the same, just told slightly differently. A white man is foolish enough to help a trapped snake who wants to bite him. He is only saved by someone smarter than himself.

The third story is about Jackal and Hyena eating clouds. Jackal jumps down and Hyena catches him, but when it is Hyena's turn to catch, he fails. 

And finally why the heron has a bent neck. It has to do with Heron telling Dove that Jackal cannot fly. Jackal was getting free food before that and decided that Heron needs to learn a lesson.

Source: South-African Folk-Tales by James A. Honey 1910

Narrator: Dustin Steichmann

Music: Xhosa traditional dance sibaqa by Xhosa Traditional Choir

Sound Effects: Crickets Outside My Bedroom by Dustin Steichmann

Podcast Shoutout: LINGTHUSIASM A PODCAST THAT'S ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT LINGUISTICS

Listener Shoutout: Portland, OR. Portland lies on top of a dormant volcanic field known as the Boring Lava Field, named after the nearby bedroom community of Boring. The Boring Lava Field has at least 32 cinder cones such as Mount Tabor, and its center lies in southeast Portland. Mount St. Helens, a highly active volcano 50 miles (80 km) northeast of the city in Washington state, is easily visible on clear days and is close enough to have dusted the city with volcanic ash after its eruption on May 18, 1980. Via Wikipedia

"Spotted Hyena" by Stig Nygaard is licensed under CC BY 2.0.