African Tales

6. Berber (Algeria) The African

30 6 The African 29 Berber (Algeria)30 by messoud ben el hadj Once there was a man who had seven wives and seven mares, but the wives had no children and the mares no foals. So he asked advice, and a wise man said, “Go to a forest and get seven sticks. Break a stick on every mare. Go to market and buy seven apples. Give every one of your wives an apple.” He did so, and the seven mares had foals and his seven wives had children . Five had noble sons, one had a blind girl, and one had an African boy. One day, the six boys were riding out of the town, and the five said,“Let us get rid of the African boy.” So they turned him away from them, and he returned crying to his father. One day, the blind sister called to them and said, “Choose, my brothers, the one who is strong among you, and he will go to the house of the daughter of the chief of the Christians and bring me back her soap. Then I shall wash my eyes with it and recover my sight.” They all said, “We are ready.” All six started together, but again the five wished to get rid of the African. So they struck him. At this place was a large stone, and the road divided. The African said, “I will leave a feather under this stone. If one of us returns by this road, he will take out the feather and burn it.” The five went by one road, and the African by the other. The five went along the road until they saw a castle. They went in to pass the night. There were women in the castle who welcomed them and said, “This is our custom. Each one of you will choose a woman, and if in the morning she is asleep on his lap he will marry her. But if he is asleep on her lap, she will take all his possessions.” Each brother took a woman, but after a little the women went out, each saying, “I shall change my clothes,” and another woman came. She said, “I will go and put kohl on my eyes,” and another came, so that the men became tired and slept. Then the women took all their possessions and turned them out. They walked until they found a Mozabite,31 so they stopped and worked for him. The African went along the road until he came to some corn. He let his horse eat the corn. A ghoul appeared, and the African fought with him and killed him. He took away the ghoul’s flesh and continued his journey. Then the African found a large, blind vulture. The vulture had seven young ones who were always looking for food for their father, but never found enough to satisfy him. The African gave the vulture the ghoul’s flesh and satisfied him. The vulture said, “You have satisfied me. What do you want?” The African said, “I want to cross the sea and return.” The vulture said, “Sit down until I call to you.” The African went and filled his bag again with the ghoul’s flesh and sat down until the children of the vulture came back. The first one who returned said, “Open your mouth, father.” The old vulture said, “Put the results of your hunting there. I am satisfied.” All seven children of the vulture brought food, and the old vulture said to all, “I am satisfied.” Then the old vulture said, “Choose the strongest one among you to take this Negro across the sea and to come back with him.” The eldest young vulture said he would do it in a year, and all offered to do it in less time. The youngest said, “I will take him in the morning and return with him in the afternoon.” So they started. Every time the young vulture flapped his wings, the African sitting on his back threw him a piece of ghoul’s flesh. And so they crossed the sea. The African went to a Jew and said, “Make me a golden cock. I will get inside it, and it will walk by itself.” The Jew did so, and the African went to the house of the daughter of the chief of the Christians. In the house, he found the daughter of the chief of the Christians...