In Wole Soyinka’s The Lion and the Jewel, Lakunle, the schoolteacher, refers to Baroka, the Bale (traditional village chief), as a fox. This metaphor symbolises Baroka’s cunning, cleverness and strategic thinking.

This happened when Sidi, Sadiku and Lakunle were having a conversation. Sidi tells them that she is familiar with Baroka's "little supper" that he uses to lure unsuspecting maidens to his bed. It is then that Lakunle says: "Is it for nothing he is called the Fox?" (p.23). Lakunle narrates how Baroka had bribed a white surveyor not to allow the railway to pass through the village so that he could continue to maintain his power over his people. This suggests that the label Fox symbolises Baroka's mental prowess. 

The fox is a classic symbol of craftiness and mental agility, not necessarily physical strength or sexual ability, although Baroka does display some of those traits. However, in this context, the emphasis is on his ability to manipulate and outwit others.