Moorish Literature Part 43

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-c.o.c.k. 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-c.o.c.k, 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-c.o.c.k 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-c.o.c.k 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-c.o.c.k, for it has a hair from my back which it has put in the fire. I don't want to burn. Take Half-a-c.o.c.k 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-c.o.c.k. The next day the King found his stables deserted and his animals killed. He sought for Half-a-c.o.c.k, 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-c.o.c.k and cast him into the cattle-yard so that it may be crushed under their feet."

The negroes caught Half-a-c.o.c.k 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-c.o.c.k 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-c.o.c.k 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-c.o.c.k, 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-c.o.c.k 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-c.o.c.k 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-c.o.c.k, 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-c.o.c.k 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-c.o.c.k 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-c.o.c.k 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-c.o.c.k 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-c.o.c.k 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."

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 pa.s.s 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 pa.s.s 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 quant.i.ty 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 G.o.d.

The King had a search made for _tolbas_ who should worship G.o.d. 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 pa.s.s 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." G.o.d reunited them.