Moorish Literature: Comprising Romantic Ballads, Tales of the Berbers, Stories of the Kabyles, Folk-Lore, and National Traditions
General
Moorish Literature: Comprising Romantic Ballads, Tales of the Berbers, Stories of the Kabyles, Folk-Lore, and National Traditions
Spanish literature -- Translations into English
That lasted so until one night the son of the cadi and the son of the
caliph went to a young man who knew how to play on the flute and the rebab.
"Come with us," they said to him, "into the garden of the man who will not
give us his daughters in marriage. You shall play for us on your
instruments." They agreed to meet there that night. The musician went to
the garden, but the two young men did not go. The musician remained and
played his music alone. In the middle of the night two lamps appeared, and
the two young girls came out of the ground under the lamps. They said to
the musician: "We are two sisters, daughters of the owner of the garden.
Our father killed us and buried us here. You, you are our brother for this
night. We will give you the money which our father has hidden in three
pots. Dig here," they added. He obeyed, found the three pots, took them
away, and became rich, while the two girls returned to their graves.
* * * * *
THE WOMAN AND THE FAIRY
A woman who was named Omm Halima went one day to the stream to wash at the
old spring. Alone, in the middle of the day, she began her work, when a
woman appeared to her and said: "Let us be friends, you and I, and let us
make a promise. When you come to this spring, bring me some herma and
perfumes. Cast them into the fountain which faces the qsar. I will come
forth and I will give you money." And so the wife of Ben Sernghown returned
every day and found the other woman, who gave her pieces of money. Omm
Khalifah was poor. When she "became friends" with the fairy she grew rich
all of a sudden. The people were curious to know how she had so quickly
acquired a fortune. There was a rich man, the possessor of much property.
He was called Mouley Ismail. They said to Omm Khalifah:
"You are the mistress of Mouley Ismail, and he gives you pieces of money."
She answered, "Never have I been his mistress." One day, when she went to
the spring to bathe, the people followed her until she arrived. The fairy
came to meet her as usual, and gave her money. The people surprised them
together. But the fairy never came out of the fountain again.
* * * * *
HAMED-BEN-CEGGAD
There was in a city a man named Hamed-ben-Ceggad. He lived alone with his
mother. He lived upon nothing but the chase. One day the inhabitants of the
city said to the King:
"Hamed-ben-Ceggad is getting the better of you."
He said to them, "Tell me why you talk thus to me, or I will cut off your
heads."
"As he only eats the flesh of birds, he takes advantage of you for his
food."
The King summoned Hamed and said to him, "You shall hunt for me, and I will
supply your food and your mother's, too." Every day Hamed brought game to
the prince, and the prince grew very proud of him.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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