Ali and Ou Ali were two friends. One day they met at the market. One of
them bore ashes and the other carried dust. The first one had covered his
goods with a little flour. The other had concealed his merchandise under
some black figs. "Come, I will sell you some flour," said Ali.
"Come, I will sell you some black figs," answered Ou Ali.
Each regained his own horse. Ali, who thought he was carrying flour, found,
on opening his sack, that it was only ashes. Ou Ali, who thought he was
bearing black figs, found on opening his sack that it was nothing but dust.
Another day they again greeted each other in the market. Ali smiled. Ou Ali
smiled, and said to his friend:
"For the love of God, what is your name?"
"Ali; and yours?"
"Ou Ali."
Another time they were walking together, and said to each other:
"Let us go and steal."
One of them stole a mule and the other stole a rug. They passed the night
in the forest. Now, as the snow was falling, Ali said to Ou Ali:
"Give me a little of your rug to cover me."
Ou Ali refused. "You remember," he added, "that I asked you to put my rug
on your mule, and you would not do it." An instant afterward Ali cut off a
piece of the rug, for he was dying of cold. Ou Ali got up and cut the lips
of the mule. The next morning, when they awaked, Ou Ali said to Ali:
"O my dear friend, your mule is grinning."
"O my dear friend," replied Ali, "the rats have gnawed your rug."
And they separated. Some time afterward they met anew. Ali said to Ou Ali:
"Let us go and steal."
They saw a peasant, who was working. One of them went to the brook to wash
his cloak there, and found it dry. He laid the blade of his sabre so that
it would reflect the rays of the sun, and began to beat his cloak with his
hands as if to wash it. The laborer came to the brook also, and found the
man who was washing his cloak without water.
"May God exterminate you," said he, "who wash without water."
"May God exterminate you," answered the washer, "who work without a single
ox."
The other robber watched the laborer, and had already stolen one of his
oxen. The laborer went back to his plough, and said to the washer, "Keep
this ox for me while I go and hunt for the other." As soon as he was out of
sight the robber took away the ox left in his charge. The laborer returned,
and seizing the goad by one end he gave a great blow on the plough-handle,
crying:
"Break, now. It matters little."
The robbers met in a wood and killed the oxen. As they lacked salt, they
went to purchase it. They salted the meat, roasted it, and ate it. Ali
discovered a spring. Ou Ali not being able to find water, was dying of
thirst.
"Show me your spring," he said to Ali, "and I will drink."
"Eat some salt, my dear friend," answered Ali. What could he do? Some days
afterward Ou Ali put ashes on the shoes of Ali. The next day he followed
the traces of the ashes, found the spring, and discovered thus the water
that his friend was drinking. He took the skin of one of the oxen and
carried it to the fountain. He planted two sticks above the water, hung the
skin on the sticks, and placed the horns of the ox opposite the road.
During the night his friend went to the spring. At the sight of the skin
thus stretched out, fear seized him, and he fled.
"I am thirsty," said Ou Ali.
"Eat some salt, my dear friend," answered Ali, "for salt removes thirst."
Ali retired, and, after having eaten, ran to examine the skin that he had
stretched out. Ou AH ate the salt, and was dying of thirst.
"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:
"Prepare some pancakes and some eggs for us."
She prepared the pancakes and the eggs and served them with the food.
"O my sister," cried Ou Ali, "my friend does not like eggs; bring us some
water." She went to get the water. As soon as she had gone, Ali took an egg
and put it into his mouth. When the woman returned, he made such efforts to
give it up that he was all out of breath. The repast was finished, and Ali
had not eaten anything. Ou Ali said to his sister: "O my sister, my friend
is ill; bring me a skewer." She brought him a skewer, which he put into the
fire. When the skewer was red with the heat, Ou Ali seized it and applied
it to the cheek of Ali. The latter uttered a cry, and rejected the egg.
"Truly," said the woman, "you do not like eggs."
The two friends started and arrived at a village.
"Let us go to my sister's house," said Ali to his friend. She received them
with open arms.