African Tales

8. Berber (Morocco) Half-a-Cock

48 8 Half-a-Cock 34 Berber (Morocco)35 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 quarreled 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 he put under his wing. And then he resumed his journey. He proceeded until evening and stopped under a tree to pass the night there. He had not rested long when he saw a lion pass near the tree where he was lying. As soon as he saw the lion, he jumped on his back and stole one of his hairs, which he put with that of the jackal. The next morning, he got up early and took up his journey again. Arriving at the middle of a forest, he 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. Half-a-Cock went on his way and arrived at the palace of a king. He began to crow and to say, “Tomorrow, the king will die, and I will take his wife.” Hearing these words, the king gave to his servants 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 servants seized him and cast him into the pen to perish. Berber (Morocco) 49 When he got there, Half-a-Cock took from under his wing the jackal’s hair and burned 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 the situation I am in. Get me out of it.” “That’s an easy matter,” said the jackal and immediately blew 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 he has a hair from my back that he 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 his 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 looked for Half-a-Cock, but in vain. The next day at the supper hour, Half-a-Cock began to crow as he did the first time. The king called his servants and said to them, “Seize Half-a-Cock and cast him into the cattle-yard so that he may be crushed under the feet of the cattle.” The servants caught Half-a-Cock and threw him into the middle of the cow-pen. As soon as he got there, he 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, calling his brothers. They came in great haste and said to him, “Why do you call now?” “Take Half-a-Cock from the ox-yard, for he has one of my hairs, which he can put into the fire. If you don’t rescue Half-a-Cock, he will burn the hair, and I don’t...