Moorish Literature

by René Basset

  The prince repeated these words to Hamed, who said:

  "The task you give me is harsh, nevertheless I will bring her to you," He set out on the way, and came to a place where he found a man pasturing a flock of sheep, carrying a millstone hanging to his neck and playing the flute. Hamed said to him: "By the Lord, I cannot lift a small rock, and this man hangs a millstone to his neck." The shepherd said: "You are Hamed-ben-Ceggad, who built the house of coral-wood?"

  "Who told you?"

  "A bird that flew into the sky." He added, "I will go with you."

  "Come," said Hamed. The shepherd took the millstone from his neck, and the sheep were changed into stones.

  On the way they met a naked man, who was rolling in the snow. They said [to themselves], "The cold stings us, and yet that man rolls in the snow without the cold killing him."

  The man said to them, "You are Hamed-ben-Ceggad, who built the house of coral-wood?"

  "Who told you that?"

  "A bird that passed flying in the sky told me. I will accompany you."

  "Come," said Hamed. After they had pursued their way some time, they met a man with long ears.

  "By the Lord," they said, "we have only small ears, and this man has immense ones."

  "It is the Lord who created them thus, but if it pleases God I will accompany you, for you are Hamed-ben-Ceggad."

  They arrived at the house of the woman with the silver ornaments, and Hamed said to the inhabitants, "Give us this woman, that we may take her away."

  "Very well," said her brother, the ogre. They killed an ox, placed it upon a hurdle, which they lifted up and put down with the aid of ninety-nine men.

  "Give us one of your men who can lift this hurdle."

  He who wore millstones hanging from his neck said, "I can lift it." When he had placed it on the ground, they served a couscous with this ox. The ogre said, "Eat all that we give you." They ate a little, and the man with the long ears hid the rest of the food. The brother continued: "You give us one of you who will go to gather a branch of a tree that stands all alone on the top of a mountain two days' march in the snow." The one who had rolled in the snow departed, and brought back the branch.

  "There remains one more proof," said the ogre. "A partridge is flying in the sky; let one of you strike it." Hamed-ben-Ceggad killed it.

  They gave him the woman, but before her departure her brother gave her a feather and said to her, "When anyone shall try to do anything to you against your will, cast this feather on the hearth and we will come to you."

  People told the woman, "The old Sultan is going to marry you."

  She replied, "An old man shall never marry me," and cast the feather into the fire. Her brother appeared, and killed all the inhabitants of the city, as well as the King, and gave the woman to Hamed-ben-Ceggad.

  THE MAGIC NAPKIN

  A taleb made a proclamation in these terms: "Is there anyone who will sell himself for 100 mitquals?" A man agreed to sell himself. The stranger took him to the cadi, who wrote out the bill of sale. He took the 100 mitquals and gave them to his mother and departed with the taleb. They went to a place where the latter began to repeat certain formulas. The earth opened and the man entered it. The other said to him, "Bring me the candlestick of reed and the box." He took this and came out keeping it in his pocket.

  "Where is the box?" asked the taleb.

  "I did not find it."

  "By the Lord, let us go." He took him to the mountains, cast a stone at him, and went away. He lay on the ground for three days. Then he came to himself, went back to his own country, and rented a house. He opened the box, found inside a silk napkin, which he opened, and in which he found seven folds. He unfolded one. Genii came around the chamber, and a young girl danced until the day dawned. The man stayed there all that day until night. The King came out that night, and, hearing the noise of the dance, he knocked at the door, with his vezir. They received him with a red h'aik. He amused himself until the day dawned. Then he went home with his vezir. The latter sent for the man and said, "Give me the box which you have at home." He brought it to the King, who said to him: "Give me the box which you have so that I may amuse myself with it, and I will marry you to my daughter." The man obeyed and married the Sultan's daughter. The Sultan amused himself with the box, and after his death his son-in-law succeeded him.

  THE CHILD AND THE KING OF THE GENII

  There was a sheik who gave instruction to two talebs. One day they brought to one of them a dish of couscous with meat. The genius stole him and bore him away. When they had arrived down there he taught him. One day the child was crying. The King of the genii asked him, "Why do you cry?"

  "I am crying for my father and my mother. I don't want to stay here any longer."

  The King asked his sons, "Who will take him back?"

  "I," said one of them; "but how shall I take him back?"

  "Carry him back after you have stuffed his ears with wool so that he shall not hear the angels worshipping the Lord."

  They had arrived at a certain place, the child heard the angels worshipping the Lord, and did as they did. His guide released him and he remained three days without awaking. When he came to himself, he took up his journey and found a mother-dog which slept while her little ones barked, although yet unborn. He proceeded and met next an ass attacked by a swarm of flies. Further on he saw two trees, on one perched a blue bird. Afterward it flew upon the other tree and began to sing. He found next a fountain of which the bottom was of silver, the vault of gold and the waters white. He went on and met a man who had been standing for three days without saying a word. Finally he arrived at a village protected by God, but which no one entered. He met a wise man and said to him:

  "I want to ask you some questions."

  "What do you wish to ask me?"

  "I found a mother-dog which was asleep while her little ones were barking, although yet unborn."

  The sage answered, "It is the good of the world that the old man should keep silence because he is ashamed to speak."

  "I saw an ass attacked by a swarm of flies."

  "It is Pjoudj and Madjoudj of God (Gog and Magog) and the Antichrist."

  "I met two trees, a blue bird perched on one, then flew upon the other and began to sing."

  "It is the picture of the man who has two wives. When he speaks to one the other gets angry."

  "I saw a fountain of which the bottom was of silver, the vault of gold, and the waters white."

  "It is the fountain of life; he who drinks of it shall not die."

  "I found a man who was praying. I stayed three days and he did not speak."

  "It is he who never prayed upon the earth and is now making amends."

  "Send me to my parents," concluded the child.

  The old man saw a light cloud and said to it, "Take this human creature to Egypt." And the cloud bore him to his parents.

  THE SEVEN BROTHERS

  Here is a story that happened once upon a time. A man had seven sons who owned seven horses, seven guns, and seven pistols for hunting. Their mother was about to increase the family. They said to their father: "If we have a little sister we shall remain. If we have a little brother we shall go." The woman had a little boy. They asked, "Which is it?"

  "A boy."

  They mounted their horses and departed, taking provisions with them. They arrived at a tree, divided their bread, and ate it. The next day they started and travelled as far as a place where they found a well, from which they drew water. The older one said, "Come, let us put the young one in the well." They united against him, put him in, and departed, leaving him there. They came to a city.

  The young man remained some time in the well where they had put him, until one day a caravan passing that way stopped to draw water. While the people were drinking they heard something moving at the bottom of the well. "Wait a moment," they said; they let down a rope, the young man caught it and climbed up. He was as black as a negro. The people took him away and sold him to a ma
n who conducted him to his house. He stayed there a month and became white as snow. The wife of the man said:

  "Come, let us go away together."

  "Never!" he answered.

  At evening the man returned and asked, "What is the negro doing?"

  "Sell him," said the woman.

  He said, "You are free. Go where you please."

  The young man went away and came to a city where there was a fountain inhabited by a serpent. They couldn't draw water from this fountain without his eating a woman. This day it was the turn of the King's daughter to be eaten. The young man asked her:

  "Why do you weep?"

  "Because it is my turn to be devoured to-day."

  The stranger answered, "Courage, I will kill the serpent, if it please God."

  The young girl entered the fountain. The serpent darted toward her, but as soon as he showed his head the young man struck it with his stick and made it fly away. He did the same to the next head until the serpent was dead. All the people of the city came to draw water. The King said:

  "Who has done this?"

  "It is he," they cried, "the stranger who arrived yesterday." The King gave him his daughter and named him his lieutenant The wedding-feast lasted seven days. My story is finished before my resources are exhausted.

  HALF-A-COCK

  In times past there was a man who had two wives, and one was wise and one was foolish. They owned a cock in common. One day they quarrelled about the cock, cut it in two, and each took half. The foolish wife cooked her part. The wise one let her part live, and it walked on one foot and had only one wing. Some days passed thus. Then the half-a-cock got up early, and started on his pilgrimage. At the middle of the day he was tired and went toward a brook to rest. A jackal came there to drink. Half-a-Cock jumped on his back, stole one of his hairs, which it put under its wing and resumed its journey. It proceeded until evening and stopped under a tree to pass the night there. It had not rested long when it saw a lion pass near the tree where it was lying. As soon as it perceived the lion it jumped on its back and stole one of its hairs, which it put with that of the jackal. The next morning it got up early and took up its journey again. Arrived at the middle of a forest, it met a boar and said:

  "Give me a hair from your back, as the king of the animals and the trickiest of them have done--the jackal and the lion."

  The boar answered, "As these two personages so important among the animals have done this, I will also give you what you request." He plucked a hair from his back and gave it to Half-a-Cock. The latter went on his way and arrived at the palace of a king. It began to crow and to say:

  "To-morrow the King will die, and I will take his wife."

  Hearing these words the King gave to his negroes the command to seize Half-a-Cock, and cast him into the middle of the sheep and goat-pen to be trampled upon and killed by them, so that the King might get rid of his crowing. The negroes seized him and cast him into the pen to perish. When he got there Half-a-Cock took from under his wing the jackal's hair and burnt it in the fire. As soon as it was near the fire the jackal came and said:

  "Why are you burning my hair? As soon as I smelled it, I came running."

  Half-a-Cock replied, "You see what situation I am in. Get me out of it."

  "That is an easy thing," said the jackal, and immediately blowed in order to summon his brothers. They gathered around him, and he gave them this command: "My brothers, save me from Half-a-Cock, for it has a hair from my back which it has put in the fire. I don't want to burn. Take Half-a-Cock out of the sheep-pen, and you will be able to take my hair from its hands." At once the jackals rushed to the pen, strangled everything that was there, and rescued Half-a-Cock. The next day the King found his stables deserted and his animals killed. He sought for Half-a-Cock, but in vain. The latter, the next day at the supper hour, began to crow as it did the first time. The prince called his negroes and said to them:

  "Seize Half-a-Cock and cast him into the cattle-yard so that it may be crushed under their feet."

  The negroes caught Half-a-Cock and threw him into the middle of the cow-pen. As soon as it reached there, it took the lion's hair and put it into the fire. The lion came, roaring, and said:

  "Why do you burn my hair? I smelled from my cave the odor of burning hair, and came running to learn the motive of your action."

  Half-a-Cock answered: "You see my situation. Help me out of it."

  The lion went out and roared to call his brothers. They came in great haste and said to him, "Why do you call us now?"

  "Take the Half-a-Cock from the ox-yard, for it has one of my hairs, which it can put into the fire. If you don't rescue Half-a-Cock, it will burn the hair, and I don't want to smell the odor of burning hair while I am alive."

  His brothers obeyed. They at once killed all the cattle in the pen. The King saw that his animals were all dead, and he fell into such a rage that he nearly strangled. He looked for Half-a-Cock to kill it with his own hands. He searched a long time without finding it, and finally went home to rest. At sunset Half-a-Cock came to his usual place and crowed as on the former occasions. The King called his negroes and said to them:

  "This time when you have caught Half-a-Cock, put it in a house and shut all the doors till morning. I will kill it myself."

  The negroes seized him immediately and put him in the treasure-room. When it got there, it saw money under its feet. It waited till it had nothing to fear from the masters of the house, who were all sound asleep, took from under its wing the hair of the boar, started a fire, and placed the hair in it. At once the boar came running and shaking the earth. It thrust its head against the wall. The wall shook and half of it fell down, and going to Half-a-Cock the boar said:

  "Why are you burning my hair at this moment?"

  "Pardon me, you see the situation in which I am, without counting what awaits me in the morning, for the King is going to kill me with his own hands if you don't get me out of this prison."

  The boar replied: "The thing is easy; fear not, I will open the door so that you may go out. In fact, you have stayed here long enough. Get up, go and take money enough for you and your children."

  Half-a-Cock obeyed. It rolled in the gold, took all that stuck to its wing and its foot, and swallowed as much as it could hold. It took the road it had followed the first day and when it had arrived near the house it called the mistress and said: "Strike now, be not afraid to kill me." His mistress began to strike until Half-a-Cock called from beneath the mat:

  "Enough now. Roll the mat."

  She obeyed and saw the earth all shining with gold.

  At the time when Half-a-Cock returned from his pilgrimage the two women owned a dog in common. The foolish one seeing that her companion had received much money said to her:

  "We will divide the dog between us."

  The wise woman answered: "We can't do anything with it. Let it live, I will give you my half. Keep it for yourself. I have no need of it."

  The foolish one said to the dog, "Go on a pilgrimage as Half-a-Cock did and bring me some gold."

  The dog started to carry out the commands of his mistress. She began her journey in the morning and came to a fountain. As she was thirsty she started to drink. As she stopped she saw in the middle of the fountain a yellow stone. She took it in her mouth and ran back home. When she reached the house she called her mistress and said to her:

  "Get ready the mats and the rods, you see that I have come back from the pilgrimage."