Contents

Preface

9

Acknowledgements

11

Map 1: The languages of Morocco

13

Map 2: The Tashelhiyt Berber region

14

INTRODUCTION

15

1

Berber languages

15

2

Tashelhiyt Berber

15

3

About the texts

16

 

3.1 Transcription and translation

16

 

3.2 Folktale genres

17

4

Bibliography

17

5

Appendices: Specimina of the original texts

19-30

6

Transcription table

31

TASHELHIYT BERBER TEXTS AND TRANSLATIONS

33

 

•l de Slane

 

1

The vizir of the king

35

 

•2 de Rochemonteix

 

2

The king and the Jew

41

 

•3 Stumme

 

3

A story about two children and an ogress

45

4

A story about a woodcutter

49

5

The girl who once lived among the gazelles

57

6

The story of Hmad Unamir

63

 

•4 Destaing

 

7

The jackal and the river

67

8

The negro and the gourds

69

9

The jackal and his children

69

10

The frog and the rain

69

11

The old woman and the mill

69

12

The snake and the rat

71

13

The jackal and the churn skin

71

14

A hare listening

71

15

A hen and its chickens

73

 

•5 Roux

 

16

The hedgehog and the jackal

73

17

The negro and the village council

75

18

A story: "Ihya is not Ihya", or: "Ihya has a beard"

75

19

The cat and the rat

77

20

The intelligence of Baba Ali Amqiyyes

79

21

The dog and the cat

79

22

What are the "marabouts" among the birds?

83

23

Where does the ground of a picket go?

83

24

Sidi Ali Baddi and some women

85

25

Never mind (the price) of a loaf of bread by which one could find the mouth of an Arab

85

26

The old lady, the taleb and the hyena

87

27

"Did you taste it or do you only say: ‘Drink it!’ "

87

28

A quarrel about pushing one another

89

29

The mouse and the cat

89

30

The donkey and the cat

91

31

A mouse mocking a cat

91

32

The story of Sidi Hmad u Musa, Sidi Mhnd Yaqub and their messenger

93

33

The story of some boys and the king’s treasure chamber

95

 

•6 Eugène

 

34

A story about a man and his mother

107

35

A story about the scoundrel of Tinmell

107

36

Si Muhammad Amedjaw

109

37

The story of a taleb

109

38

A story about a man who heard people say: "Amazing"

111

39

The tale of a Sufi

117

 

•7 Podeur

 

40

When the Ayt Smugen grew salt

123

41

A story about a man, his wife and uncle March

123

42

The viper and the man

l23

43

The story about a man who sold honey at the market

127

44

Solomon, the hoopoe and Queen Bilqis

129

 

•8 Amard

 

45

A story about a man and his children

133

 

•9 Boukous

 

46

The woodcutter

149

47

The taleb

157

 

•10 Leguil

 

48

Two friends

163

49

A man, his wife and a hare

171

50

A man, a woman and a cat

171

51

The king and the kofta-seller

173

52

The Hajji and the children of the Jew

175

53

Noah and the panther

179

54

A Marrakshi and his wife

183

 

•11 Stroomer

 

55

Two children

191

56

Lhusayn and his sister

199

57

Zrayfa and Merretelligh

201

58

Khlija

203

59

The boy and death

205

60

A mosque made of honeycombs

207

61

Bladim and his wife

207

62

The hedgehog and the jackal

209

63

Ali Butkuttit and the ogress

211

64

Ali Butkuttit and the thorn

213

65

Donkey eggs

215

66

Briqa and Zrifa

215