Moorish Literature Part 51

THE ROBBER AND THE TWO PILGRIMS

Two robbers spent their time in robbing. One of them got married, and the other continued his trade. They were a long time without seeing each other.

Finally the one who was not married went to visit his friend, and said to him:

"If your wife has a daughter, you must give her to me."

"I will give her to you seven days after her birth."

The daughter was born, and the robber took her to bring up in the country.

He built a house, bought flocks, and tended them himself. One day some pilgrims came to the house. He killed a cow for them and entertained them.

The next day he accompanied them on their pilgrimage. The pilgrims said to him:

"If you come with us, two birds will remain with your wife."

The woman stayed in the country. One day the son of the Sultan came that way to hunt. One of the birds saw him and said to the woman, "Don't open the door." The prince heard the bird speak, and returned to the palace without saying a word. An old woman was called to cast spells over him, and said to the King:

"He could not see a woman he has never seen."

The prince spoke and said to her: "If you will come with me, I will bring her here." They arrived.

The old dame called the young woman, "Come out, that we may see you."

She said to the bird, "I am going to open the door."

The bird answered: "If you open the door you will meet the same fate as Si El-Ahcen. He was reading with many others in the mosque. One day he found an amulet. His betrothed went no longer to school, and as she was old enough he married her. Some days after he said to his father, 'Watch over my wife.' 'Fear nothing,' answered the father.

"He started, and came back. 'Watch over my wife,' he said to his father again. 'Fear nothing,' repeated his father. The latter went to the market.

On his return he said to his daughter-in-law, 'There were very beautiful women in the market,' 'I surpa.s.s them all in beauty,' said the woman; 'take me to the market.'

"A man offered 1,000 francs for her. The father-in-law refused, and said to her: 'Sit down on the mat. The one that covers you with silver may have you,' A man advanced. 'If you want to marry her,' said her father-in-law, 'cover her with silver, and she will be your wife.'

"Soon Si El-Ahcen returned from his journey and asked if his wife were still living. 'Your wife is dead,' said his father; 'she fell from her mule,' Si El-Ahcen threw himself on the ground. They tried to lift him up.

It was useless trouble. He remained stretched on the earth.

"One day a merchant came to the village and said to him, 'The Sultan married your wife,' She had said to the merchant, 'The day that you leave I will give you a message,' She wrote a letter to her husband, and promised the bearer a flock of sheep if he would deliver it.

"Si El-Ahcen received the letter, read it, was cured, ran to the house, and said to his father: 'My wife has married again in my absence; she is not dead. I brought home much money. I will take it again.'

"He took his money and went to the city where his wife lived. He stopped at the gates. To the first pa.s.ser-by he gave five francs, to the second five more.

"'What do you want, O stranger?' they asked. 'If you want to see the Sultan we will take you to him,' They presented him to the Sultan.

"'Render justice to this man,' 'What does he want?' 'My lord,' answered Sidi El-Ahcen, 'the woman you married is my wife,' 'Kill him!' cried the Sultan. 'No,' said the witnesses, 'let him have justice,'

"'Let him tell me if she carries an object,' Si El-Ahcen answered: 'This woman was betrothed to me before her birth. An amulet is hidden in her hair,' He took away his wife, returned to the village, and gave a feast.

"If you open the door," continued the bird, "you will have the same fate as Fatima-ou-Lmelh. Hamed-ou-Lmelh married her. Fatima said to her father-in-law, 'Take me to my uncle's house,' Arriving there she married another husband. Hamed-ou-Lmelh was told of this, and ran to find her. At the moment he arrived he found the wedding over and the bride about to depart for the house of her new husband. Then Hamed burst into the room and cast himself out of the window. Fatima did the same, and they were both killed.

"The intended father-in-law and his family returned to their house, and were asked the cause of the misfortune. 'The woman was the cause,' they answered.

"Nevertheless, the father of Hamed-ou-Lmelh went to the parents of Fatima and said: 'Pay us for the loss of our son. Pay us for the loss of Fatima.'

"They could not agree, and went before the justice. Pa.s.sing by the village where the two spouses had died they met an old man, and said, 'Settle our dispute,' 'I cannot,' answered the old man. Farther on they met a sheep, which was b.u.t.ting a rock. 'Settle our dispute,' they said to the sheep. 'I cannot,' answered the sheep. Farther on they met a serpent. 'Settle our dispute,' they said to him. 'I cannot,' answered the serpent. They met a river. 'Settle our dispute,' they said to it. 'I cannot,' answered the river. They met a jackal. 'Settle our dispute,' they said to him. 'Go to the village where your children died,' answered the jackal. They went back to the village, and applied to the Sultan, who had them all killed."

The bird stopped speaking, the pilgrims returned. The old woman saw them and fled. The robber prepared a feast for the pilgrims.

THE LITTLE CHILD

"Come, little child, eat your dinner."

"I won't eat it."

"Come, stick, beat the child."

"I won't beat him."

"Come, fire, burn the stick."

"I won't burn it."

"Come, water, quench the fire."

"I won't quench it."

"Come, ox, drink the water."

"I won't drink it."

"Come, knife, kill the ox."

"I won't kill him."

"Come, blacksmith, break the knife."

"I won't break it."

"Come, strap, bind the blacksmith."

"I won't bind him."

"Come, rat, gnaw the strap."