Hamdani (Haamdaanee) the Beggar

First Part

There was a beggar named Hamdan, who was begging from house to house for his livelihood, sometimes taking things without people’s permission. After a while people started to get tired of him, and stopped giving him things, so that he would not come to their houses. Eventually he lost his all network of people and options to the point where he had one day to go to the village dust mound every morning, pick up and eat a few small grains of sorghum seeds that he would find there.

One day, as he was digging and turning the dust heap, he found some money, which he tied to the edge of his worn-out clothes, and then continued searching for sorghum grain, but found none.

“Ahaa, okay,” he said, “I’ve got a little money now; I’m fine. I’ll go home and sleep a little instead of eating.”

So he went to his hut, drank some water, put tobacco in his mouth, and went to sleep.

The next morning, as he was digging in the garbage heap, he saw a man from the village pass by, carrying a basket made of branches, and he called out to him: “Hello, villager! What do you have in that basket? ”

The man, whose name was Muhadimu, replied, “Gazelle.”

And Hamdan said to him, Bring them here. I want to see them. ”

There were three wealthy people standing nearby; and when they saw the man in the village following Hamdan they smiled, and said, “You are wasting your time, Muhadimu.”

“Why do you say that, gentlemen?” he asked.

“Why?,” they said, “that man is a beggar has nothing. Not a single penny.”

“Ahaa, I don’t know about that,” said the man; “As far as I know, he may have a lot.”

“Not him,” the three wealthy people said.

“Can’t you see for yourself,” continued one of them, “isn’t he on a heap of dust? Every day he crawls around like a chicken, trying to

get enough sorghum kernels to survive. If this beggar had money, he could then at least buy food for himself, once in his life? Do you think he would like to buy the Gazelle? What would he do with it? He cannot get enough food for himself, let alone purchase Gazelle food. ”

But Muhadimu said: “Gentlemen, I have brought goods here to sell. I will always respond to all those who call on me, and if anyone says to me, ‘Come,’ I go to him. I do not favor one man over another; ”

“Well,” the first man said; “You don’t trust us. Well, we know where he lives, we know all about him, and we know he can’t buy anything. ”

“That’s right,” the second man said. “However, later on, you’ll know we were right, after talk to him.”

The third person went on to say, “The sign of rain is always clouds, but in the case of this beggar we have not seen any signs of him being able to have any money.”

“Well, gentlemen,” said the Guardian; “Many people who look better than this beggar has called me before me, and when I show them my Gazelles they say, ‘Ah, yes, they are very nice, but take them.’ So I will not be disappointed if this person says the same thing. In any case, I will still go to him.”

Then one of the three men said, “Let’s go with this man, and see what the beggar will buy.”

“Pshaw!” said another; “He will buy it! You are talking nonsense. He has not eaten well for three years, to my knowledge; the person in his condition has no money to buy a Gazelle. However, let us go; and if this beggar makes this poor villager carry his load all the way up there just for the fun of watching Gazelle, let each of us beat him severely using our sticks, to teach him how to live with honest businessmen. ”

So when they approached him, one of the three men said: “Indeed, these are Gazelles; now buy one. Here you are, old hypocrite; you will please your eyes, but you will not buy them. ”

But Hamdan, did not listen to the people, asked Muhadimu, “Are you selling one of your Gazelles?”

Then one of the men intervened: “You’re not guilty, are you? You know, as far as I know, that Gazelles are sold daily at two o’clock for a quarter price. ”

Still not caring about these outsiders, Hamdani went on to say, “I would like to buy one for one dime.”

“One for one dime!” one of the men laughed; “Of course you would like to buy one for one dime. Maybe you would also like to have a dime to buy.”

Then one of them pushed him on his cheek.

Then the beggar Hamdan turned and said, “Why have you pushed me to the ground, while I have not done anything to you? I do not even know you.

I have called this man, to do business with him, and somehow  you are involving yourselves, are interfering in our business. ”

Part Two

Then he untied the knot in the hem of his worn-out jacket, took out one of the diamonds, and handed it to Muhadimu, saying, “Please, good man, give me a Gazelle for that money.”

At that moment, the village seller took a small Gazelle from the basket and handed it to him, saying, “Sir, here he is, take this one. Then he turned to the three men, laughed, and said: “Look! How does this look to you guys? Yet, who are clothed with white robes, and having raiment, and swords, and censers, and sandals on your feet, but the beggar is the one who bought the Gazelle for one dime, while you gentlemen, I think, do not have enough money among you to buy half of Gazelles, even if they were sold for five cents each. ”

Then the village seller and the three men left.

As for Hamdani, he stayed in the dust heap until he got a few grains of sorghum and a few for Swala Kijipa, then went to his hut, spread out his mat, and he and Swala slept together.

He kept going to the dumpster for a few sorghum and then returned home to sleep for about a week.

Then one night Hamdan was awakened by a man calling out, “Lord!” As he sat down, he replied: “Here I am. Who is calling me? Gazelle replied, “It’s me!”

At this moment, the beggar was terrified of not knowing if he should faint or get up and run.

Seemingly puzzled, Kijipa asked, “What’s the matter, sir?”

“Ah, goodness gracious!” exclaimed; “This is surprising to see!”

“Wonderful?” Gazelle said, looking round; “Well, what is this big surprise, that make you feel like you’re broken everywhere?”

“This is crazy and so amazing, I can’t believe I’m awake!” said his master. “Who in this world has ever known that a Gazelle can speak?”

“Ohoo!” laughed Kijipa; “Is that all? There are so many surprises then and wonderful things to do. But now listen, I have to tell you why I called you.”

“Certainly; I will listen to every word, ”said the man. “I can’t help but listen!”

“Well, you see, it’s like this,” said Kijipa; “I have let you be my master, and I will not run away from you; therefore I want you to make an agreement with me, and I will make a promise  toyou, which i will fulfill completely. ”

“Speak,” said the beggar.

“Now,” Gazelle continued, “one does not have to know you for a long time, to find out that you are very poor. Looking for grains in a dumpter to feed yourself seems to be a normal routine for you; but if you go on for a long time, you will not have any Gazelle – Kijipa will starve to death. So, I want to go every day to find food of my own and i will be returning in the evenings;

“Well, I think I’ll have to let you go as per your wish,” said the beggar, in a very unhappy voice.

At dawn, Kijipa jumped up and ran outside, Hamdani followed him. Gazelle ran very fast, and his master stood watching him until he disappeared. Then tears welled up in the man’s eyes, and he raised his hands and cried, “Aah, my mother!” Then he cried out, “Aah, my father!” Then he cried out, “Aah, my Gazelle! He has run away! ”

Some of his neighbors, who had heard him complain, used the opportunity to inform him that he was a fool, stupid and a lost man.

One of them said: “You spend all your life near that heap of dust, of course you know how long you have been digging like a chicken, and you got a chance to make money by fluke. But since you are not smart enough, instead of buying food you went to buy a Gazelle. Why are you crying? You have brought all your own troubles on yourself. ”

However, Gazelle was very comforting to Hamdani, who always spend his time at the dust heap, looking for a few sorghum kernels, and returned to his hut, which now looked worse and more desolate than before.

At sunset, Kijipa came back running; The beggar Hamdan rejoiced again, saying, “Alas, my friend, you have returned to me.”

“Of course,” Gazelle said; “Didn’t I promise you? You see, I felt that when you bought me, you gave all the money you had here in the world, even though it was only a small amount of money. Why then should I disappoint you? I can’t do that. If I go looking for food, I will come back every evening. ”

When the neighbors saw the Gazelle coming home every evening and leaving every morning, they were very surprised, and began to suspect that Hamdani was a witch.

In fact, coming and going continued for five days, with Gazelle telling his beggar master every day about good places he was, and how much food he ate.

On the sixth day he was eating from the thorn bushes in the thick trees, while picking up bitter leaves under a big tree, the Gazelle saw a large diamond that shone brightly.

 

Part Three

“Oh!” Said Kijipa, with great astonishment; “Of course, here is the wealth! This is worth the whole kingdom! If I send it to my master he will be killed; since he is poor, they will say to him, Where did you get it? and if he tells them, he has found it: they will not believe him; saying, he has been given that too will get him killed; It is not right for me to get my master into trouble. I know what I will do. I will look for a strong man; he will be appropriate. ”

So Kijipa started his journey through the forest, holding a diamond in his mouth, and ran and ran, but did not see any city that day; so he lay down in the woods, and got up early and went on his way again. The second day passed like the first.

On the third day Gazelle had traveled from dawn to dawn at about eight o’clock in the morning, when he began to see scattered houses, increasing in size, and he knew he was approaching the city. He finally found himself on the main street of the big city, which led directly to the sultan’s palace, and began to run as fast as he could. People passing by stopped and starred at the Gazelle who was running fast along the road with something tied to leaves in his teeth.

The Sultan was sitting at the door of his palace, when Kijipa, standing a short distance away, threw a diamond out of his mouth, and, lying beside him, breathing hard, exclaimed: “Ho! Hello! Knock knock! This is a statement that everyone in the area makes when they want to enter someone else’s house, one stays outside until the statement is answered.

After the statement was repeated several times, the sultan said to his servants, “Who is knocking?”

And one of them answered, “Lord, it’s a knocking Gazelle,” Hello, there! ”

“Knock Knock!” The Sultan said; “Come in! Invite the Gazelle to come closer. ”

Then three servants rushed to Kijipa and said: “Get up, come. The Sultan has requested you to approach inside. ”

So the Gazelle got up, took a diamond and went to the Sultan, placed that jewel at his feet, saying, “Lord, good afternoon!” The Sultan replied: “God make the afternoon better! Come closer.”

The Sultan ordered his servants to bring a rug and a large pillow, so that the Gazelle could rest on it. Kijipa objected and explained that he was OK, but the Sultan insisted, and Kijipa had to agree to be made a guest of honor. Then they brought milk and rice, the Sultan did not want to hear anything until Gazelle had eaten and rested.

Finally, when everything was all right, the Sultan said, “Well, now my friend, tell me what news you brought me.”

Kijipa said: “Sir, I do not know how much you will like the information I bring. The truth is, I have been sent here to insult you! I have come to try to start a quarrel with you! In fact, I have come here to recommend a family reunion with you!”

Then the Sultan said: “Oh! Come here! for a Gazelle, you really know how to talk! The truth is, I’m looking also for someone to insult me. It just hurts to have one person only looking for a quarrel with me. I can’t wait for the family reunion. Continue with your message. ”

Then Kijipa said, “You have no ill intentions against me, you understand that I am only a messenger?”

The Sultan said, “I have none at all.”

“Well,” said Kijipa, “look at this big surprise I’m bringing; while placing a diamond-shaped diamond on the sultan’s thigh.

When the Sultan opened the leaves and saw the beautiful and shining jewel, he was amazed. Finally he said, “Right?”

“I have brought this gift,” Swala said, “from my lord, Sultan Darae. He has heard that you have a daughter, so he has sent you this jewel as a proposal to marry your daughter, hoping that you will forgive him for not bringing you something of value worthy of acceptance than this weak thing.”

“This is Good!” The Sultan said to himself; “He calls this weak!” Then he said to the Gazelle: “Oh, that is all right; all is good. I am satisfied. Sultan Darae has my permission to marry my daughter, and I do not want anything from him. Come empty-handed. If he has these weak things, leave them at home. This is my message, and I hope you will deliver it as it is to your master. ”

The Gazelle assured him that he would explain everything as he had told him, then said: “Now sir, I am leaving. I am going straight to our city, and I hope after about eleven days we will return as your guests. So they all parted and went their way.

At that time, Hamdani was having a very difficult time. Kijipa has disappeared, he wondered around the city mourning, “Oh, my poor Gazelle! My poor Gazelle!” While the neighbors laughed at him and mocked him, because of his loss which caused him to almost lose his mind.

But one evening, while he was asleep, Kijipa entered. He jumped up and started hugging the Gazelle, crying loudly for him again in great volume.

After reviewing the situation and saw that it was serious, the Gazelle said: “Come, come; shut up my lord. I have good news for you.” But the beggar continued to weep and rejoice, saying that he thought his Gazelle was dead.

Part Four

Finally Kijipa said: “Aha, okay, sir, you see I’m fine. You must plan, and prepare to listen to my news, and do as I advise you. ”

“Go on; go on,” replied his beggar master; “Tell me what you want me to do, and I will do whatever you want me to do. Even if you say, ‘Lie on your back, and I will roll you over to the other side of the mountain,’

“Well,” Swala said, “there is not much to explain at the moment, but let me tell you this: I have seen many kinds of foods, coveted foods and foods that are not suitable, but this food I am about to give you is super tasty.”

Alas! Said Hamdani. “Is it possible that in this world there is anything that is good all the time? There must be good and bad in everything. Food that is sweet and bitter is good food, but if food is only sweet wouldn’t it cause harm?

“Mh!” Gazelle yelled; “I’m too tired to talk about philosophy. Let’s go to bed now, and when I call you in the morning, all you have to do is get up and follow me. ”

So in the morning they left, Gazelle leading the way, and for five days they traveled through the forest.

On the fifth day they came to a small stream, Kijipa said to his master, “Lie down here.” After that, Gazelle grabbed him and beat him until he cried out loudly: “Aha, stop, I beg you!”

“Now,” Gazelle said, “I am going, and when I return I hope to meet you here; so do not leave this place for any reason.” Then he left racing, and at about four in the morning he arrived to the Sultan’s house.

From the day Kijipa left the city, soldiers were stationed along the road to wait and announce the arrival of Sultan Darae as soon as he appears; so when one of them saw the Gazelle in the distance, he ran and said to the Sultan, “Sultan Darae is coming! I have seen the Gazelle running fast towards this way. ”

The Sultan and his servants hurried out to meet his guests; but as they went a little farther out of the city they met the Gazelle coming alone, when he came to the Sultan, he said, “Good day my lord.” The Sultan answered gently, asking him what happened, but Kijipa said: “Aah, don’t even ask me. I got here after going through a ton of difficulties, and my news are bad! ”

“Why, what happened up there?” The Sultan asked.

“Aah, my dear!” The Gazelle held his breath; “It’s unfortunate and tragic! You see, Sultan Darae and I started coming here alone, we went well until we reached a thick forest, where we met robbers, who kidnapped my master, tied him up, beat him, and took everything he had, even stripped him of all his clothes. “Aah, my dear!” “Aah, my dear!”

“Damn me!” The Sultan said; “We must address this immediately.” So he hurried back with his servants to his house, called the keeper of the chariot and said to him, “Prepare the best horse in my barn, and put my best rope on him.” He then ordered a maid to open a large decorated box and bring him a bag of clothes. When she brought it to him, the Sultan chose a waistcoat, a long white robe, a black jacket, a loincloth, and a turban that were all the best. Then he ordered a bent gold-plated sword, a sharpened knife with a gold accent, elegant shoes, and a walking stick.

Then the sultan said to Kijipa, “Take some of my soldiers, and let them send these things to the Sultan Darae, that he may wear them and come to me.”

But the Gazelle replied: “Aah, my lord, what! You want me to go with these soldiers and humiliate Sultan Darae? Currently he is hiding and sleeping in the bushes, because he was beaten and robbed, and I would not want anyone to see him. I can take everything on my own. ”

“Why on hearth do you want to do that,” the sultan exclaimed, “here are horses, and there are clothes and weapons. I do not see how the little Gazelle can manage to carry all these things.”

But the Gazelle ordered them to tie everything on the back of the horse, and at the end of the of the journey all things should be tied around his neck, then he left alone, leaving the people of the city young and old marvelling at him and congratulating him.

When he got to the place where he had left the beggar, he found him asleep waiting for him, and he was very happy for his return.

“Now,” he said, “I have brought you the delicious food I promised you. Come, get up and take a shower.”

Reluctant since he was a person who was not been accustomed to such a thing for a long time, the man entered the stream and began to wet himself very little.

“Oh,” said the Gazelle angrily, “a little water like that won’t get your clean; go into a big pool of water.”

“Damn me!” Said the man nervously; “There is plenty of water there; and where there is plenty of water there are certainly terrible animals. ”

“Animals! What kind of animals?”

“Certainly to a large extent, crocodiles, aquatic lizards, snakes, and frogs are biting humans, and I am terrified of them. ”

Part Five

“Ahaa, okay,” said Kijipa, “do as much as you can in the stream; but rub yourself well on the ground, and brush your teeth well with sand; they are very dirty.”

So the beggar obeyed, and in a short time he completely changed his appearance.

Then the Gazelle said: “Now, hurry up and put on these things. The sun has set, and we were supposed to start our journey before it set.”

So the beggar put on the beautiful clothes that the sultan had provided for him, and then he mounted the horse, and they began to go with the Gazelle leading the way.

When they reach a bit of far distance, the Gazelle stopped and said, “Look: Everyone who sees you now will not know that you are the beggar who used to dig in the dust heap yesterday. Even if we were to return to our city the neighbors would not recognize you, just because your face is clean and your teeth are white. Your appearance is all right, but I have a warning I want to give you. The place we are going, I have proposed you a sultan’s daughter to be your wife, with all the usual wedding gifts. It is important you stay silent at all times, except saying statements such as ‘How are you doing ‘and’ How are you?’ The rest, let me speak. ”

“All right,” said the man; “That suits me well.”

“Do you know your name?”

“I certainly understand.”

“Really? Well, which one?”

“Why, my name is Hamdani.”

“Not at all” Kijipa laughed; “You are name from now on is Sultan Darae.”

“Aha, is that so?” said his beggar master. “That’s good.”

So they began to move forward again, and after a while they saw the soldiers running from all directions, and fourteen of them joined them to escort them. Then they saw the Sultan, and the ministers, the magistrates, the judges, and the officers of the city, coming to meet them.

“Now,” said Kijipa, “get off your horse and greet your father-in-law. The one in the middle, wearing a blue jacket. ”

“All right,” said the beggar, as he jumped off his horse, who was being led by a soldier.

So the two sultans met, shook hands, and each kissed the other, and went up to the palace together.

They followed up with a great feast, rejoicing and talking till night, and later on Sultan Darae and Swala were placed in the inner room, they had three soldiers at the door to protect and serve them.

When morning came, Kijipa went to the sultan and said: “Sir, we want to fulfill what brought us here. We want to marry your daughter, as soon as the ceremony takes place, it will be better and more pleasing to Sultan Darae. ”

“No problem, that’s fine,” the sultan said; “The bride is ready. Someone should call a teacher, Mwalimuuu, and tell him to come soon. ”

When the teacher arrived, the sultan said, “Look, we want you to marry my daughter to this master right now.”

“All right; I’m ready,” the teacher said. So they got married.

Early the next morning, Gazelle told his beggar master: “Now I want to go. I will be traveling for about a week; but no matter how long it take, do not leave the house until I return. Goodbye. ”

Then he went to the Sultan and said: “Good lord, Sultan Darae has ordered me to return to our city to keep his house in good condition; and i have been instructed to return here in a week; If I don’t come back at that time, he will stay here until I come back. ”

The Sultan asked him if he would need some soldiers to accompany him; but the Gazelle told him that he was able to take care of himself, as his earlier travels proved, he preferred to go alone; so they said fairwell to each other and parted ways.

But Kijipa did not go to the old village. He found another road through the jungle, and within time he came to a very beautiful city, with a large, beautiful house. As he walked along the highway, to the end, he was astonished to see that the city seemed to be uninhabited, for he saw no man, woman, or child in the city.

At the end of the highway he came to a large house that he had never seen before, built of sapphire, and emerald, and expensive marble.

“Aah, man!” Said the Gazelle; “This house would be good for my beggar master. I will have to use my courage to see if this house is abandoned like other houses in this amazing city. ”

So Kijipa knocked, and called, “Helloo, there!” several times; but no one answered him. He said to himself: “This is amazing! If no one was inside, the door would have been shut on the outside. Maybe they are in another part of the house, or they are sleeping. I’ll call again, louder. ”

So he called out again, in a loud and long voice, “Hel-oo, there! He-loo! Suddenly the old woman inside replied, “Who is that knocking out loud?”

Part Six

“It’s me, your grandson, my good grandmother,” said Kijipa.

“If you are my grandson,” replied the old woman, “return to your house immediately; before you get killed here, and cause me to die also.

“Ahaa, come here,” said Kijipa, “open the door, ma’am; I just have a few words to say to you.”

“My dear grandson,” he replied, “the only reason I do not open the door is because I am afraid of risking your life and mine as well.”

“Ohoo, don’t worry about that; I think your life and mine are safe enough for now. Just open the door, and hear a few things I have to say. ”

So the old woman opened the door.

Then they greeted and she welcomed him, and immediately asked the Gazelle, “What kind of news do you have from where you come from my grandson?”

“Ahaa, everything is going well,” he said; “What’s the news here?”

“Ahaa!” the old woman sighed; “The news here is very bad. If you are looking for a place to die, here you are. I have no doubt at all you will see all you want about death today. ”

“Ha!” Kijipa replied weakly; “For flies to die in honey is not bad thing, and it does not hurt honey either. ”

“Maybe this is easy for you,” the old woman insisted; “But if people with swords and shields could not save themselves, how will it possible for a small animal such as yourself to avoid this grave danger? I must ask you again, please return to where you came from. Your safety is more important to me than it is to you. ”

“Well, you see, I can’t go back right now; and moreover, I want to know more about this place. Who owns it? ”

“Ahaa, my grandson, in this house there is a lot of wealth, ton of people, hundreds of horses, and its owner is Neoka Mko ′, a very big unbelievable King snake. He owns this whole city, too.”

“Oh!” Is that right? “Said Kijipa.” Look here ma’am; can’t you give me a strategy to approach this big snake, so I can kill him? ”

“Have mercy!” Cried the old woman, in fear; “Don’t talk like that. You have put my life in danger already, as I am sure Neoka Mko can hear what is being said in this house, wherever he is. You see, I am a poor old woman, and I have been placed here and given pots and pans for cooking. Well, when the King snake comes, the wind starts to blow and the dust clears as it happens during a big storm. Then, when he gets to the courtyard, he eats until he is full, after which he goes inside to drink water. When he finishes, he leaves again. This is done daily, when the sun is full set. Let me also tell you that Neoka Mko has seven heads. Now, Do you think you are a match for him? ”

“Look here grandmother,” the Gazelle said, “don’t worry about me. Does this big snake have a sword?”

“He has one. Here it is, “she said, while taking it from its beautiful and unique bag, and handing it to the Gazelle;” But what’s the use of worrying about it? We’re already dead. ”

“We’ll see about that,” Kijipa said.

At that moment the wind started to blow, and the dust cleared, as if a great storm were coming up.

“Do you hear that the master is coming?” cried out the old woman.

“Pishaw!” Said Gazelle; “I’m the master too – and I deserve to be in here too. Two bulls can’t live in the same barn. Either he’ll live in this house, or i do.”

Despite the fear on the old lady, she had to smile because of the assurance of safety given to her by the little Gazelle, and she went on to recount the number of people with swords and shields that had been killed by the great serpent.

“Ahaa, stop your stories!” Said Gazelle; “You can’t always judge a banana by its color or size. Grandma, wait and see. ”

Within a short moment the big snake, Neoka Mko, entered the yard, and crawled around all the pots and ate what was inside. Then he came to the door.

“Halo, old lady,” he said; “Why do I smell a scent of a new person in there?”

“Oh, it’s nothing, good lord,” the old woman replied; “Lately I’ve been so busy here, I haven’t had time to take care of myself; but this morning I used perfume, that is what you are smelling. ”

This time, Kijipa had drawn a sword, and was just standing inside the door; and when this great serpent placed on of his heads in, it was cut off so fast that it did not even know if his head had gone. When he placed his second head it was cut at the same speed; and he felt a little tingle, and said, “Who is in there, who is scratching me?” Then he did put in his third head, and that was cut off as well.

This continued until the six heads were all thrown to the ground, Neoka Mko took off his rings and wrapped herself around so that the old woman and the Gazelle could not see each other from the dust.

 

Part Seven

Then the serpent put his seventh head in it, and the Gazelle said: “Now is your time; You have crawled many trees but this one you won’t be able to”.

Indeed, the old woman said, though seventy-five years old, jumped up and screamed, and laughed, like a nine-year-old girl. Then she ran and took the water, sprinkled it on Gazelle, and turned him round and round, which finally made him sneeze; situation that cracked the old woman with laughter and happiness, she woke him up and cared for him until he was completely healed.

“Aah, man!” she said; “Who would have thought you could face this snake my grandson? ”

“All right, all right,” said Kijipa; “Now everything is over, can  you please show me everything that is in this area. ”

So he showed her everything, from top to bottom: warehouses full of goods, rooms full of expensive food, rooms with good people who had been imprisoned for a long time, slaves, and everything.

He then asked her if there was anyone who would be able to claim the area or cause any trouble; and she answered: “There is no one like him; everything here is yours. ”

“All right then,” he said, “you stay here and take care of these things until I bring my master. This place belongs to him now.”

Kijipa stayed for three days inspecting the house, and said to himself: “Well, when my master comes here he will be very pleased with the things I have done for him, and he will appreciate them after the life he is accustomed to.

On the fourth day he left, and in due course he arrived in the city where the sultan and his lord lived. There was great joy accompanied with his arrival; The sultan was especially pleased with his return, at this point his master felt that he had received a new season of life.

After everything calmed down a bit, Kijipa told his master he must be ready to go, he and his wife to his new home after four days. He then went and told the Sultan that Sultan Darae wished to take his wife to his own city within four days; which the sultan vehemently opposed; but the Gazelle said it was the will of his master, and in the end everything was arranged.

On the day of departure a large crowd gathered to escort Sultan Darae and his bride. There were virgins, slaves, horsemen, with Kijipa leading them all.

So they traveled for three days, resting when the sun was down, and resting every evening at eleven o’clock in the evening to eat and sleep; then get up the next morning, resting again during the day, eating, and continuing on with the journey. And all this time the Gazelle rested very little, passing through the whole caravan, from the women to the slaves, to see if each one had received food at a reasonable rate; so the whole caravan loved and valued him as the pupil of their eyes.

On the fourth day, in the afternoon, a number of houses began to appear, and some people called Kijipa to look at them. “Certainly,” he said; “That is our city, and the house you see in front of it is the palace of Sultan Darae.”

So they went on, and the whole caravan entered the courtyard, with the Gazelle and his beggar master entering the house.

When the old woman saw Kijipa, she began to dance and shout, and continued as she had done when he killed Neoka Mko, and then kissed his leg; but Kijipa said: “Old lady, leave me; The one who needs to be pampered the most is my master, Sultan Darae. Kiss his feet; he deserves first respect wherever he is.

The old woman apologized for not knowing her master, and then Sultan Darae and Gazelle walked around to see for themselves and inspect various places and objects. The Sultan ordered all prisoners to be released, horses to be brought out to graze, to be swept clean, to be dusted off, and to serve food. Then everyone was given rooms to live in, and they were all satisfied.

After staying there for a while, the women who had accompanied the bride longed to return home. Kijipa urged them not to hurry, but after a while they left, each carrying a gift from the Gazelle, whom they loved a thousand times more than their master. Then things calmed down and returned to normal.

One day the Gazelle said to the old woman: “I think my master’s attitude nowdays is very selfish. I have done nothing for him except doing good things all the time I have been with him. I came to this city and sacrificed myself to face many dangers for him, and when it was all over, I gave him everything. But he never asked me: ‘How did you find this house? How did you find this city? Who owns this house? Did you rent all these things, or did you get them? How did the locals react? ‘I don’t understand. And besides that, although I have done nothing wrong to him but good, he has never returned a favor even once. He owns nothing here. He has never seen a house or a town like this since the day he was born, and he has nothing. I believe the ancients were right when they said, ‘If you want to do good to anyone, do not do too much; do him a little bad from time to time, and he will think of you more. But, I have done everything I can now, and I would like to see him return the favor a little. ”

The next morning the old woman was awakened early by the voice of the Gazelle calling, “Mother! Mom! ” When he went to him, she found that he had pain in his stomach, a fever, and both his legs were aching.

He said, “Go,” and told my master, “I am very sick.”

So he went upstairs and found the man and his wife sitting on a marble couch, covered with silk cloth from India.

Part Eight

“Welcome,” the master said, “what do you want old lady?”

“Aha, my lord,” she cried, “Kijipa is sick!”

His wife exclaimed: “My dear! What has happened to him? ”

“His whole body aches. He is sick all over. ”

“Aha, okay,” his beggar master said, “what can I do? Go get some red sorghum, which we use a lot, then make him some porridge.”

Alas! His was surprised, looking at him in disbelief; “Do you want to feed our friend things that even a horse would not eat even if he was very hungry? It is not right for you to do this.”

“Aah, get out!” her husband said, “You’re crazy. We eat rice; is not red sorghum enough for the Gazelle worth just one dime? ”

“Aha, but he is not a normal Gazelle. He should be as precious to you as the pupil of your eye. If sand gets in your eye it will bother you.

“You talk so much,” repeated her husband; then he turned to the old woman and said, “Go and do as I have told you.”

So the old woman went downstairs, and when she saw the Gazelle, she started crying, and said, “Aah, my dear!” Aah, my dear! ”

It took a long time before Gazelle persuaded him to tell him what had happened upstairs, but she finally told him everything. When he heard this, he said: “Did he really tell you to make me some red millet?”

“Aaa,” the woman said, “do you think I would say something like this if this was not the case?”

“Well,” said Kijipa, “I believe now what the elders said is true. However, we will give him another chance. Go to him again, and tell him I am very sick, I cannot eat that bad food.”

So he went upstairs and found the man and his wife sitting by the window, drinking coffee.

The master, looking around and seeing the woman, said, “What do you mean, old woman?”

And she said, “Sir, I have been sent by Kijipa. He is very sick, and he has refused the food you told me to prepare. ”

“Aah, this is trouble now!” he exclaimed. “Restrain your tongue, and rest your feet, and shut your eyes, and shut your ears. then, if that Gazelle asks you to come here, say that your feet are heavy; and if he say to you listen, say your ears are deaf; and if he tells you to look, say you do not see; and if he wants to talk, tell him your tongue is paralyzed. ”

When the old woman heard these words, she stood up and froze, and could not move. The beggar master wife’s face lit up, and tears welled up in her eyes; When he saw this, her husband said sharply, “What is wrong with you daughter of the sultan?”

The woman replied, “Man’s madness is what ruins him.”

“Why do you say that my wife?” he asked.

“Aah,” she said, “I’m sad, my husband, the things you do to Kijipa. Whenever I say a good word about the Gazelle you don’t like to hear it. I feel sorry for you because your understanding has been lost.”

“What do you mean by that?” he sighed.

“Because, advice is a blessing, if taken seriously. The husband should be advised by his wife, and the wife should be counseled by her husband; then all are blessed. ”

“Ooh, stop there,” said her husband, suddenly; “You have definitely lost your mind. You should be chained. ”Then he said to the old woman:“ Do not listen to what this woman is saying; nor about the Gazelle, tell him to stop bothering me and quit pretending to live as if he is the sultan. I can’t eat, I can’t drink, I can’t sleep, because the Gazelle gives me anxiety with his messages. First, the Gazelle is sick; therefore, he does not like to eat. It’s frustrating! If he likes to eat, then he should eat; if he refuses to eat, let him die and go away. My mother is dead, and my father is dead, and I am still alive and well; Why should I have troubles because of a Gazelle whom I bought for one dime, telling me he wants this thing or that thing? Go and tell him to learn how to live with respect to his superiors. ”

When the old woman came downstairs, she found the Gazelle bleeding profusely from his mouth. All she could say was, “My son, all the good you have done is gone; but be patient.”

The Gazelle and the old woman cried when she told him all that had happened, and said, “Mother, I am dying, not only from sickness, but from the shame and anger of not being appreciated by this ungrateful man.”

After a while Kijipa told the old woman to go and tell his beggar master that she thought he was dying. When she went upstairs he found Darae eating sugarcane, and said to him, “My lord, Gazelle’s health is very bad; I think he is closer to death than to recovery. ”

He replied: “Haven’t I told you often enough not to bother me?”

Then his wife said: “O my husband, Why don’t you go down and see the Gazelle? If you don’t want to go, let me go and see him. He hasn’t received anything good from you.

Part Nine

But he turned to the old woman and said, “Go and tell that nonsense to the Gazelle, if he wants to die he should do so even eleven times.”

“Now, my husband,” insisted his wife, “What has Kijipa done to you? Has he done you any harm? The words you say people speak only to their enemies. Of course, the Gazelle is not your enemy. Please Sultan Darae, do good to him. ”

But he repeated his statement that his wife was insane, and had nothing to discuss further.

So the old woman went downstairs and found the Gazelle in a worse condition than before.

At the same time, Sultan Darae’s wife gave her servant rice to cook for the Gazelle, and she also sent him a soft sheet to cover him with a pillow to sleep on. She also sent him a message that if he wanted to, she would send her father’s best doctors to treat him.

All this was too late, however, when these good things came, Kijipa died.

When the people heard that he was dead, they ran around here and there crying for a long time; When Sultan Darae discovered that all the riots were about him, he became very angry and said, “Why, you are making a lot of trouble as if I am dead, and it is only about the Gazelle I bought for a little money!”

But his wife said: “My husband, it was the the Gazelle who came looking for me at my father’s house, the one who brought me from my father, and I was handed over to him by my father. and you have not only returned evil for him, but now he is dead and you have ordered the people to throw him into a cistern. Leave us alone, let us mourn. ”

But Gazelle was taken and thrown into the well.

Then his wife wrote a letter to her father telling him to come to her directly, and to send it through faithful messengers; as soon as he received the letter the sultan and his servants immediately began the journey to visit his daughter.

When they arrived, and heard that the Gazelle had died and was thrown into a well, they wept bitterly; then the sultan, the ministers, the judges, and the wealthy nobles, all descended into the well and removed the body of Kijipa, and went to bury it.

Then that night his wife dreamed that she was at her father’s house; When dawn came she woke up and found herself in her bed in her old town again.

And her husband dreamed that he was in a heap of dust, and searching for food; and when he awoke he found himself there, full of dust on his hands and body, looking for sorghum grains. Looking intently he looked right and left, saying: “Aah, who did this trick to me? How did I get back here, I wonder? ”

Immediately the children who were passing by, seeing him, laughed at him and mocked him, saying, “Hail, Hamdan, where were you? Where are you from? We thought you were dead.”

So the sultan’s daughter lived happily with her people to the end, and the beggar continued to search for sorghum grain in the dust heap until he died.

If this story is good, goodness is for all; if it is bad, the evil belongs to the one who said it.

For more folktales click here!