Moorish Literature

by René Basset

  The foolish one prepared the mats under which the dog ran as soon as she heard the voice of her mistress and said, "Strike gently." The woman seized the rods and struck with all the force possible. The dog cried out to her a long while for her to stop the blows. Her mistress refused to stop until the animal was cold. She lighted up the mats and found the dog dead with the yellow stone in its mouth.

  STRANGE MEETINGS

  Once upon a time a man was on a journey and he met a mare who grazed in the meadow. She was thin, lean, and had only skin and bone. He went on until he came to a place where he found a mare which was fat, although she did not eat. He went on further until he met a sheep which kicked against a rock till evening to pass the night there. Advancing he met a serpent which hung in a hole from which it could not get out. Farther on, he saw a man who played with a ball, and his children were old men. He came to an old man who said to him:

  "I will explain all that to you. The lean mare which you saw represents the rich man whose brothers are poor. The fat mare represents the poor man whose brothers are rich. The serpent which swings unable to enter nor to leave the hole is the picture of the word which once spoken and heard can never go back. The sheep which kicks against the rock to pass the night there, is the man who has an evil house. The one whose children you saw aged while he was playing ball, what does he represent? That is the man who has taken a pretty wife and does not grow old. His children have taken bad ones."

  THE KING AND HIS FAMILY

  In times gone by a king reigned over Maghreb. He had four sons. He started, he, his wife, and his children, for the Orient. They set sail, but their ship sank with them. The waves bore them all in separated directions. One wave took the wife; another bore the father alone to the middle of the sea on an island where he found a mine of silver. He dug out enough silver until he had a great quantity and he established himself in the country. His people after heard tell of him and learned that he dwelt in the midst of the sea. They built houses until there was a great city. He was king of that country. Whoever came poor to him he gave him pieces of money. A poor man married his wife. As for his sons, they applied themselves to a study, each in a different country. They all became learned men and feared God. The King had a search made for tolbas who should worship God. The first of the brothers was recommended to him. He sent for him. He sought also a khodja. The second brother was designated. He summoned him to the court. The prince also especially wanted an adel. Another brother was pointed to him. He made him come to him as, indeed, he also did the imam, who was none other than the fourth brother. They arrived at their father's without knowing him or being known by him. The wife and the man who had espoused her also came to the King to make complaint. When they arrived the wife went alone that night to the palace. The prince sent for the four tolba to pass the night with him until morning. During the; night he spied upon them to see who they were. One of them said to the others, "Since sleep comes not upon us, let each one make known who he is."

  One said: "My father was a king. He had much money and four sons whose names were like yours."

  Another said: "My father was a king. My case is like yours."

  Another said: "My father was a king. My case is like yours."

  The fourth said in his turn: "My father, too, was a king. My case is like that of your three. You are my brothers."

  Their mother overheard them and took to weeping until day.

  They took her to the prince, who said, "Why do you weep?"

  She answered: "I was formerly the wife of a king and we had four sons. We set sail, he, our children, and I. The ship which bore us was wrecked. Each one was borne away alone, until yesterday when they spoke before me during the night and showed me what had happened to them, to their father, and to their mother."

  The King said, "Let me know your adventure."

  They told him all that had happened. Then the prince arose, weeping, and said, "You are my children," and to the woman, "You are my wife." God reunited them.

  BEDDOU

  Two men, one of whom was named Beddou and the other Amkammel, went to market bearing a basket of figs. They met a man who was working, and said to him:

  "God assist you!"

  "Amen!" he answered. One of them wanted to wash himself, but there was no water. The laborer, him who was with him (sic), said, "What is your name?"

  "Beddou."

  "By the Lord, Beddou, watch my oxen while I go to drink."

  "Go!"

  When he had gone, he took away one of the oxen. On his return the laborer saw that one was missing. He went to the other traveller and asked him:

  "By my father, what is your name?"

  "Amkammel Ouennidhui" ("The Finisher"), he answered.

  "By the Lord, Amkammel Ouennidhui, watch this ox for me while I go look for the one that is gone."

  "Go!"

  He stole the other one. When the laborer returned he didn't even find the second.

  The two thieves went away, taking the oxen. They killed them to roast them. One drank all the water of the sea, the other all the fresh water, to wash it down. When they had finished, one stayed there to sleep, the other covered him with ashes. The former got up to get a drink and the ashes fell on the road. When he came back, the second covered himself with the ox-head. His brother, who had gone to get a drink, was afraid, and ran away. They divided the other ox to eat it. The one who had drunk the sea-water now drank fresh water, and the one who had drunk fresh water now drank sea-water. When they had finished their repast they took up their journey. They found an old woman who had some money, upon which she was sitting. When they arrived they fought. She arose to separate them. One of them took her place to pass the night, and pretended that he was dead. The old woman said to him:

  "Get up, my son."

  He refused. In the evening one of them stole the money, and said to his brother:

  "Arise! Let us go!"

  They went away to a place where was sleeping the one who had taken the money. The other took away the dirkhems and departed, leaving the first asleep. When he awaked he found nothing. He started in pursuit of the other, and when he arrived he found him dying of illness. The latter had said to his wife, "Bury me." She buried him. He who had first stolen the money went away. He said, "It is an ox."

  "It is I, my friend," he cried. "Praise be to God, my friend! May your days pass in happiness!" Beddou said to him: "Let us go for a hunt."

  They went away alone. Beddou added: "I will shave you."

  He shaved him, and when he came to the throat he killed him and buried his head. A pomegranate-tree sprang up at this place. One day Beddou found a fruit, which he took to the King. When he arrived he felt that it was heavy. It was a head. The King asked him:

  "What is that?"

  "A pomegranate."

  "We know what you have been doing," said the King, and had his head cut off. My story is finished.

  THE LANGUAGE OF THE BEASTS

  Once upon a time there was a man who had much goods. One day he went to market. There came a greyhound, which ate some meat. The butcher gave it a blow, which made it yelp. Seeing this, the heart of the man was touched with compassion. He bought of the butcher half a piece of meat and flung it to the greyhound. The dog took it and went away. It was the son of a king of the nether world.

  Fortune changed with the man. He lost all his possessions, and began to wash for people. One day, he had gone to wash something, he stretched it on the sand to dry. A jerboa appeared with a ring in its ear. The man ran after it, killed it, hid the ring, made a fire, cooked the jerboa and ate it. A woman came out of the earth, seized him, and demanded, "Haven't you seen my son, with an ear-ring?"

  "I haven't seen anybody," he answered; "but I saw a jerboa which had a ring in its ear."

  "It is my son." She drew him under the earth and told him: "You have eaten my son, you have separated me from him. Now I will separate you from your children, and you shall work in the place of my son." He who was chan
ged into a greyhound saw this man that day, and said to him: "It is you who bought some meat for a greyhound and threw it to him?"

  "It is I."

  "I am that greyhound. Who brought you here?"

  "A woman," answered the man, and he recounted all his adventure.

  "Go and make a complaint to the King," answered the other. "I am his son. I'll tell him: 'This man did me a good service,' When he asks you to go to the treasure and take as much money as you wish, answer him: 'I don't want any. I only want you to spit a benediction into my mouth,' If he asks you, 'Who told you that?' answer, 'Nobody.'"

  The man went and found the King and complained of the woman. The King called her and asked her: "Why have you taken this man captive?"

  "He ate my son."

  "Why was your son metamorphosed into a jerboa? When men see one of those they kill him and eat him." Then addressing the man: "Give her back the ear-ring." He gave it to her.

  "Go," said the King, "take this man to the place from which you brought him."

  The son of the King then said to his father: "This man did me a favor; you ought to reward him."

  The King said to him: "Go to the treasure, take as much money as you can."

  "I don't want money," he answered; "I want you to spit into my mouth a benediction."

  "Who told you that?"

  "Nobody."

  "You will not be able to bear it."

  "I will be able."

  "When I have spat into your mouth, you will understand the language of beasts and birds; you will know what they say when they speak; but if you reveal it to the people you will die."

  "I will not reveal it." So the King spat into his mouth and sent him away, saying to the woman, "Go and take him back where you found him." She departed, and took him back there.

  He mounted his ass and came back to his house. He arranged the load and took back to the people the linen he had washed. Then he remounted the beast to go and seek some earth. He was going to dig when he heard a crow say in the air:

  "Dig beneath; you will sing when God has made you rich."

  He understood what the crow said, dug beneath, and found a treasure. He filled a basket with it. On the top he put a little earth and went home, but often returned to the spot. On one of these occasions his ass met a mule, which said:

  "Are you working still?"

  The ass replied: "My master has found a treasure and he is taking it away."

  The mule answered: "When you are in a crowd balk and throw the basket to the ground. People will see it, all will be discovered, and your master will leave you in peace."

  The man had heard every word of this. He filled his basket with earth only. When they arrived at a crowd of people the ass kicked and threw the load to the ground. Her master beat her till she had enough. He applied himself to gathering the treasure, and became a rich merchant.

  He had at home some chickens and a dog. One day he went into the granary, and a hen followed him and ate the grain. A cock said to her:

  "Bring me a little."

  She answered, "Eat for yourself."

  The master began to laugh. His wife asked him:

  "What are you laughing at?"

  "Nothing."

  "You are laughing at me."

  "Not at all."

  "You must tell me what you are laughing at."

  "If I tell you I shall die."

  "You shall tell me, and you shall die."

  "To-night." He brought out some grain and said to his wife, "Give alms." He invited the people, bade them to eat, and when they had gone he brought food to the dog, but he would not eat. The neighbor's dog came, as it did every day, to eat with his dog. To-day it found the food intact.

  "Come and eat," it said.

  "No," the dog answered.

  "Why not?"

  Then the dog told the other: "My master, hearing the chickens talk, began to laugh. His wife asked him: 'Why are you laughing?' 'If I tell you, I shall die.' 'Tell me and die,' That is why," continued the dog, "he has given alms, for when he reveals his secret he will die, and I shall never find anyone to act as he has."

  The other dog replied: "As he knows our language, let him take a stick and give it to his wife until she has had enough. As he beats her let him say: 'This is what I was laughing at. This is what I was laughing at. This is what I was laughing at,' until she says to him, 'Reveal to me nothing.'"

  The man heard the conversation of the dogs, and went and got a stick. When his wife and he went to bed she said to him, "Tell me that now."

  Then he took the stick and beat her, saying: "This is what I was laughing at. This is what I was laughing at. This is what I was laughing at," until she cried out:

  "Don't tell it to me. Don't tell it to me. Don't tell it to me."

  He left her alone. When the dogs heard that, they rejoiced, ran out on the terrace, played, and ate their food. From that day the wife never again said to her husband, "Tell me that!" They lived happy ever after. If I have omitted anything, may God forgive me for it.

  THE APPLE OF YOUTH

  There once lived a king who had five daughters and no sons. They grew up. He wanted them to marry, but they would not have any of the young men of the city. A youth came from a far country and stood under the castle, beneath the window of the youngest daughter. She saw him, and told her father she would marry him.

  "Bring him in," said the King.

  "He will come to-morrow."

  "God be praised," said the King, "that you are pleased with us."

  The young man answered, "Give me your daughter for a wife."

  "Advise me," said the King.

  The stranger said, "Go and wait till to-morrow."

  The next day the young man said to the King: "Make all the inhabitants of the city come out. You will stand with the clerks at the entrance to the gate. Dress your daughters and let them choose their husbands themselves."

  The people began to come out. The eldest daughter struck one of them on the chest with an apple, and they said: "That daughter has chosen a husband. Bravo!" Each one of the daughters thus selected a husband, and the youngest kept hers. A little while afterward, the King received a visit from one of his sons-in-law, who said to him, "What do you want us to give you?"

  "I'll see what my daughters want," he answered. "Come back in six days."

  When they went to see their wives the King said to them, "I will ask of you a thing about which they have spoken to me."

  "What is it? We are anxious to know."

  "It is an apple, the odor of which gives to the one who breathes it youth, no matter what his age may be."

  "It is difficult," they answered. "We know not where it can be found."

  "If you do not bring it to me, you cannot marry my daughter."

  They kept silent, and then consulted with each other. The youngest said to them, "Seek the means to satisfy the King."

  "Give us your advice----"

  "Father-in-law, to-morrow we shall bring you the apple." His brothers-in-law added: "Go out. To-morrow we will meet you outside the city."