‘He is your brother,
And cousin of the other.’
The ogre moved sleepily, and asked, ‘What did the meat say, Dschemila?’
‘Only that I must be sure to add salt.’
‘Well, add salt.’
‘Yes, I have done so,’ said she.
The ogre was soon sound asleep again, when the man’s flesh called out a
second time:
‘Hist! Hist!
A man lies in the kist!’
And the lamb’s flesh answered:
‘He is your brother,
And cousin of the other.’
‘What did it say, Dschemila?’ asked the ogre.
‘Only that I must add pepper.’
‘Well, add pepper.’
‘Yes, I have done so,’ said she.
The ogre had had a long day’s hunting, and could not keep himself awake.
In a moment his eyes were tight shut, and then the man’s flesh called
out for the third time:
‘Hist! Hist
A man lies in the kist,’
And the lamb’s flesh answered:
‘He is your brother,
And cousin of the other.’
‘What did it say, Dschemila?’ asked the ogre.
‘Only that it was ready, and that I had better take it off the fire.’
‘Then if it is ready, bring it to me, and I will eat it.’
So she brought it to him, and while he was eating she supped off the
lamb’s flesh herself, and managed to put some aside for her cousin.
When the ogre had finished, and had washed his hands, he said to
Dschemila: ‘Make my bed, for I am tired.’
So she made his bed, and put a nice soft pillow for his head, and tucked
him up.
‘Father,’ she said suddenly.
‘Well, what is it?’
‘Dear father, if you are really asleep, why are your eyes always open?’
‘Why do you ask that, Dschemila? Do you want to deal treacherously with
me?’
‘No, of course not, father. How could I, and what would be the use of
it?’
‘Well, why do you want to know?’
‘Because last night I woke up and saw the whole place shining in a red
light, which frightened me.’
‘That happens when I am fast asleep.’
‘And what is the good of the pin you always keep here so carefully?’
‘If I throw that pin in front of me, it turns into an iron mountain.’
‘And this darning needle?’
‘That becomes a sea.’
‘And this hatchet?’
‘That becomes a thorn hedge, which no one can pass through. But why do
you ask all these questions? I am sure you have something in your head.’
‘Oh, I just wanted to know; and how could anyone find me out here?’ and
she began to cry.
‘Oh, don’t cry, I was only in fun,’ said the ogre.
He was soon asleep again, and a yellow light shone through the castle.
‘Come quick!’ called Dschemil from the chest; ‘we must fly now while the
ogre is asleep.’
‘Not yet,’ she said, ‘there is a yellow light shining. I don’t think he
is asleep.’
So they waited for an hour. Then Dschemil whispered again: ‘Wake up!
There is no time to lose!’
‘Let me see if he is asleep,’ said she, and she peeped in, and saw a red
light shining. Then she stole back to her cousin, and asked, ‘But how
are we to get out?’
‘Get the rope, and I will let you down.’
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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