Story, story! Let it go, let it come!
This is a tale about orphans and the wisdom of the humble.
In the days of old, a certain man died and left two sons and their two mothers. Then one of the mothers fell sick. She took medicine for her illness, but it refused to mend. When she saw that she was apparently going to die, she said to her sister, her late husband's second wife:
"You have seen this illness of mine will not go away. I know I am going to die. When Allah, the Exalted One, has taken my life from me, behold, there is a son I have left to you and put in your charge, for the sake of Allah and the prophets."
The second wife said, "It is well. I have heard."
And it came to pass that the day came when she died, and the boy had not reached an age when he had full knowledge. The funeral rites were completed.
Some time passed after her death. Now her son and the son of the other woman possessed fowls and were rearing them—one had a hen, and the orphan had a hen.
One day, the stepmother lifted a stick and hit the orphan's fowl on purpose, killing it when he was not at home. When he returned, he saw his hen dead. He did not say anything except:
"Alas! Allah, the Powerful One, today my hen has died."
Then he picked it up, plucked it, put it on the fire, and prepared it well. He placed a pot on the fire and cooked it thoroughly. He took it up and went with it to the market.
Whoever came and said he wanted to buy it, he would answer that he would not sell it except for a horse.
Then the chief's son came, the one the chief loved; he too was quite a little boy. He was mounted on a powerful horse, and he said the flesh of this hen was what he wanted and it must be sold to him.
But the orphan said, "If you do not give me the horse, no one will eat my meat."
So the horse was given to the orphan, the chief's son received the meat, and the orphan took his horse home.
But his stepmother said, "Take your horse and put it in this house, and close up the door with earth. In about seven days, if you open it, you will see it has become fat enough to burst its house."
Her idea was that if he did so, the horse would die. Now the boy thought this was true, so he put the horse in the house and plastered up the door. When about ten days had elapsed, he opened the door, and he saw his horse had become fat and strong.
But his stepmother's heart grew black because the horse did not die.
Well, things went on, and one day she said, "Today there are no grain-stalks to cook with. You must sell your horse and buy stalks of grain."
But he said, "Oh my mother, why must the horse be sold to buy stalks of grain?"
She said, "Because I am not your mother—is that why you argue with me?"
He said, "I am not disputing. I shall go and seek the grain stalks."
She said, "Stop! If you do not sell the horse, leave things as they are."
And the orphan said, "It cannot be helped."
He went and sold the horse and received the grain stalks, and brought them to her. She burned all the stalks; she did not leave any at all, except three very small pieces which were left. He picked them up, sewed a little bag, and tied them inside.
Another day he rose up and went to another village for a walk, and climbed up on the fetish altar. They saw him, seized him, and said they would cut his throat.
But he said, "I have heard the news that your chief is blind, and for that reason I came to make medicine for him. If you don't want me to, then kill me."
But they said, "We wish it."
So he was brought to the chief's house and given a hut. When night came, he lifted up his grain stalks—those which the fire had left. He set fire to one stalk and walked round the back of the chief's house till it died out. And the chief began to see a very little.
Then he lit another. When it was finished burning out, both the chief's eyes opened.
Thereupon they gave him honor.
At dawn the chief assembled the people and said, "You have seen the boy has made medicine for me. My eyes are healed, and I shall give him half of the town to rule over."
But the boy answered, "I am only a trader, passing through, and I do not rule."
They said, "If you will not rule, take whatever you wish and go."
So he took slaves, and cattle, and everything beautiful, and went off with them, and entered his town with them. The people were astonished.
But his stepmother said, "Come, let us go to the road by the stream. I have seen a rat enter a hole; you dig it for me to make soup."
And he said, "Come now, my mother, what kind of meat is a rat's? Behold, guinea-fowls, and hens, and rams."
And she said, "We all know you have wealth; as for me, though, rat's meat is what I want."
So he said, "There is no harm in that. Let us go, you show me."
Now really she had seen it was a snake's hole, but she told him this in order that she might bring him trouble.
Now a big slave of his rose up to accompany him.
She said, "Sit down. I have seen you are the owner of slaves, but it is you alone we will go with. If you will not come, then stay."
So he told his slaves to sit down and he would go alone. They sat down. They set off—he and his stepmother. She went and showed him the hole.
When he was about to dig, she said, "Put down your hoe and push in your hand."
So he put in his hand and drew out a bracelet.
He said, "There it is."
She said, "That is not it. A rat, I said, was there."
So he put in his hand again and drew out a golden bangle.
But she got angry and went back home. She called her own son; he came, whereupon she said he must put in his hand and catch a rat for her.
On putting in his hand, a snake bit his hand, and they carried him home. He died before they reached home. She also died in three days.
The orphan inherited the house and all the property.
And that is the origin of the saying: "The orphan with the cloak of skin is hated, but when it is a metal one, he is looked upon with favor."
That is all.
Off with the rat's head.