Moorish Literature Part 44

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:

"G.o.d a.s.sist 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 pa.s.s 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 G.o.d, my friend! May your days pa.s.s 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 compa.s.sion. 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 changed 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, 'n.o.body.'"

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?"

"n.o.body."

"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.