THERE WAS ONCE a certain girl who loved a youth, but her parents said that they would not give her to him in marriage. He was always coming and begging them to let him marry her, but they would say, “We shall not give her to you.”

Now one day the girl came to him and said, “I have come to you to ask you to give me your knife so that I may go and kill my mother. Then we can run away to some other town and be married.”

But he said, “No, no, we must not do that.”

Again she came and said, “Give me your knife, that I may go and kill my mother.”

But again he replied, No, no, you must not kill your mother because of me.” And he continued: “Go home and stay there. Those who can give your parents presents can give you some also.”

Five days passed and then the girl asked, “Will you give me your knife to cut pumpkins?”

Now the boy had forgotten, and he pulled out his knife and gave it to her, and immediately upon receiving it, she went and cut her mother’s throat. Then she ran to the youth and said, “Now, you see I have done it. If we do not flee, you and I will be killed. Look at the blood on your knife; I have cut my mother’s throat with it.”

So they started off. The youth took a bow and arrows and sent the firl in front of him, and they escaped from the city.

They pressed on and on toward the forest. They slept there that night and the next morning they pushed on again. When they reached the centre of the forest, the girl was seized with an internal pain, and she fell down and died. Then the youth drew out one of his arrows and fitted it to the bow and stood and guarded her body.

Soon the beasts of the forest all assembled to eat her, but he would not allow them to do so, but said that nothing should touch her unless he should first be killed.

The eagle came and alighted in front of the youth and said, “Let us feast.” But he said, “No, no, did I not promise that I would not leave her?” Shall I allow you to eat her body?”

The eagle replied, “Do not put your trust in women, they are not truthful.”

But the youth said, “I do not agree, I trust this one.”

Then the eagle said, “Have you a flask?”

And the youth said “I have.”

The eagle said, “Give me it,” and took it and flew off.

Soon he returned with water in the flask and said, “Have you a knife?” And the youth said, “Yes.”

Then the eagle said, “Separate her teeth.” And he plucked out two feathers from his wings and stirred them around in the water. So the girl’s mouth was opened, the water was poured in, and immediately the girl rose up.

Then the eagle said to the youth, “See these feaathers – keep them, some day when you have gone to another city and have obtained something to eat, you will repay is for our feast which was have lost today.”

Sp the youth and the girl went off again and reached a city. They came to the house of an old woman which they entered, and they remained there until the afternoon. They even slept there.

The next morning they heard weeping, and they were told that the king’s mother had died. Then the youth arose and said, “Let me go and see what can be done.” So he started off, and came to where the desth had taken place, and when he had come, he went up to a man and said, “Can you obtain for me an interview with the king?”

“The king’s heart is broken,” the man replied. “Is anyone going to bother him now?”

But another one said, “Here, do you know what his business is? Go and ask the king indeed.”

And the king, when he heard, said, “Tell the youth to come.”

So he was summoned, and he came and said, “If I bring your mother back to life, what will you give me?”

then one of the attendants said, “Have you ever seen anyone who has died come back to life?”

But the king said, “Leave him alone, perhaps he has some magic.” and he continued, addressing the youth, “I will give you ten slaves.” He said, “See, this house also will I give you, and these horses.”

So the youth said, “Very well, bring me water in a flask.” And water was obtained and brought to him.

Then he walked around to the back, and said, “Now open the king’s mother’s mouth.” Immediately after the water had been poured down her throat, she rose up and remained alive, so the youth’s presents were brought and given to him. Then he returned to his house and remained in the town and, whenever anyone died, someone would come and summon him to give the dead person the charm so as to bring him back to life again.

Now after a time, one of the king’s slaves made the girl fall in love with him, and he said, “Look here, girl, since we know each other so well, will you not give me your husband’s charm?”

And she said, “Very well.” So when she went to bed and her husband talked, she remained silent; when he asked her anything, she did not reply.

Then her husband said, “What is the matter with you?”

And she replied, “Well, we have been together for some time now, but you have got something which you are keeping secret from me; you are always hiding it.” Then he said, “Is it only that which has made you so quiet?” Well, here it is; keep it for me.” And he gave the girl the eagle’s feathers. No sooner had she received them than she took a water-pot and said that she was going to the river for water. But instead of doing so, she went and gave the feathers to the king’s slave who took them to his house.

Soon afterward, another death took place in the king’s family and the youth was summoned as usual. He came and said to his wife, “Where is the thing which i gave you to keep for me?”

And she replied, “It is here somewhere, I put it just here.”

They looked but did not find it; they looked again but did not find it.

Now the king’s slave went and said to the king, “If I make him up again, how much will you give me?”

The king replied, “Everything that you want I will give you.”

So the slave said, “Very well,” and he made the dead man rise up.

When he had done this, the king’s slave asked that the youth should be seized and given to him for a slave. The king said, “Very well, go and seize him.”

So he went and caught the youth and took his wife for himself. The king’s slave bound the youth and out handcuffs on him and took him to the forest and made him clear the ground.

Some time later the eagle came to where he was and said: “Where is that which you promised me? I told you that the woman was not faithful, but you said she was. Now let me do you another good turn. Tonight, hold your leg irons up to your thighs and go into the city and find me a cat.” So the youth went and found a cat, and he returned and hid the cat until day-break.

Then the eagle came again and said, “The reason we sought you, O Cat, is that we want you to get us a mouse.”

The cat said, “Very well,” and immediately she ran in where the youth had been cutting wood and caught a mouse.

Then the eagle said, “O Cat, and you, O Mouse, you know the smell of my feathers. Take the road, go into the city, and enter the house of the king’s slave, and if the mouse sees any feather, you, O Cat, take them and bring them here.”

The cat and the mouse went to the city and entered the house of the king’s slave. The mouse looked everywhere, in the pots, in the quiver, but did not see the feathers, and he went outside to the cat, and said, “I cannot see them.”

Then the cat said, “Return, go and look again.” And the cat entered and cried out “Miyau.”

Then the sleepers said, “Thank goodness! She will catch that ouse which has prevented our sleeping.” So they went to sleep, both the king’s slave and his wife.

Then the mouse came and sniffed at the slave’s mouth and saw where the feathers were, and he said to the cat, “Here they are! I see them!”

“Where do you see them?” asked the cat.

The mouse replied, “In his mouth.”

Then the cat said, “Very well, go and bite him.”

The mouse went and bit the slave, and he went poof. The feathers fell out of his mouth and the cat caught them and took them to the youth in the forest.

The next morning the eagle came again and said, “Where are they?”

The youth replied, “See them.”

Then the eagle said, “Good! but let us have another understanding. Some day you must pay me back for my feast which I gave up.”

Now it happened that on the next day one of the king’s sons became ill and died, and the king’s slave was sent for and told to work his magic. But he said that he had lost his charm.

Then the king said, “Summon the other one to come. Here is a horse, go quickly and bring the one who is in the forest.” The youth was sent for quickly and was brought and when he had come, the king said, “See, we have summoned you. May God cause your power to return to you.”

“How can one who lives out in the forest obtain magic?” asked the youth.

But the king said, “For God’s sake, help us.”

Then the youth said, “Very well, but what will you give me?”

The king replied, “Everything that is in the slave’s house I will give you.”

Then the youth prepared his charm and raised up the dead man, and the king said, “Go and seize the slave.”

The youth went and caught the slave and his wife; he undid his own handcuffs and out them on the slave and his wife; he took another pair and out them on the wife; and then he took them to the place where he had been cutting wood and said that they were to stack it all in one place. Then he called to the eagle, telling him to come; and when he had arrived, the youth said, “Go assemble all your relatives; tomorrow we shall meet at the clearing.”

The next morning the eagle came together, all the birds assembled, and all the beasts of the forest also came. When all had arrived, the youth said, “Now set fire to the pile.” So they set fire to it. The fire consumed all the wood and left a great mass of embers. Then he said to the slave and his wife, “Get up and fall into the fire.” But they refused. Then he told his attendants to get up and drag them in; and they threw them into the fire. Every time that they got out, they were thrown in again, and at last they were cooked. The youth told the attendants to pull the bodies out of the fire to put them out in the open.

Then he said, “Eagle!”

And the bird replied “UM!”

“Now, see, here is your feast,” the youth said, and then he mounted his horse and returned to the city.

It is certainly true that women are not to be trusted.

[ HAUSA ]