Moorish Literature eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 393 pages of information about Moorish Literature.

Moorish Literature eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 393 pages of information about Moorish Literature.

“For the love of God,” he said finally, “show me where you drink.”

Ali was avenged.  “Come, Jew-face, and I will show you the water.”  He made him drink at the spring, and said to him:  “See what you were afraid of.”  The meat being finished, they started away.  Ou Ali went to the house of Ali, and said to him: 

“Come, we will marry you to the daughter of an old woman.”

Now, the old woman had a herd of oxen.  She said to Ali:  “Take this drove to the fields and mount one of the animals.”  Ali mounted one of the oxen.  He fell to the ground; the oxen began to run and trample on him.  Ou Ali, who was at the house, said to the old woman: 

“O my old woman, give me your daughter in marriage.”

She called her daughter.  “Take a club,” she said to her, “and we will give it to him until he cries for mercy.”

The daughter brought a club and gave Ou AH a good beating.  Ali, who was watching the herd, came at nightfall and met his friend.

“Did the old woman accept you?” he asked him.

“She accepted me,” answered Ali.  “And is the herd easy to watch?”

“From morning till night I have nothing to do but to repose.  Take my place to-morrow, and mount one of the oxen.”

The next day Ou Ali said to the old woman, “To-day I will take care of the herd.”  And, on starting, he recommended Ali to ask the old woman for her daughter’s hand.

“It is well,” answered Ali.  Ou Ali arrived in the fields; one of the oxen seized him with his horns and tossed him into the air.  All the others did the same thing.  He regained the horse half dead.  Ali, who had remained at the house, asked the old woman for her daughter’s hand.  “You ask me again?” said she.  She took a club and gave it to him till he had had enough.  Ou Ali said to Ali:  “You have played me a trick.”  Ali answered him:  “Without doubt they gave me the stick so hard that I did not hear the last blow.”

“It is well, my dear friend.  Ali owes nothing to Ou Ali.”

They went away.  The old woman possessed a treasure.  Ou Ali therefore said to Ali:  “I will put you in a basket, for you know that we saw that treasure in a hole.”  They returned to the old woman’s house.  Ali goes down into the hole, takes the treasure, and puts it into the basket.  Ou Ali draws up the basket, takes it, abandons his friend, now a prisoner, and runs to hide the treasure in the forest.  Ali was in trouble, for he knew not how to get out.  What could he do?  He climbed up the sides of the hole.  When he found himself in the house, he opened the door and fled.  Arriving at the edge of the forest he began to bleat.  Ou Ali, thinking it was a ewe, ran up.  It was his friend.

“O my dear,” cried Ali, “I have found you at last.”

“God be praised.  Now, let us carry our treasure.”

They started on the way.  Ou Ali, who had a sister, said to Ali:  “Let us go to my sister’s house.”  They arrived at nightfall.  She received them with joy.  Her brother said to her: 

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Moorish Literature from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.