A group of hunters discovers the traces of an ogre, but only one ventures to follow them. After a four-day journey, he finds a cave where a captive woman warns of the ogre’s return. The hunter ambushes and kills the ogre, rescues the woman, and takes the ogre’s treasures. Despite disputes among the hunters, the hero returns victorious and marries the woman.
Source
Moorish Literature
romantic ballads, tales of the Berbers,
stories of the Kabyles, folk-lore,
and national traditions
The Colonial Press,
London, New York, 1901
► Themes of the story
Mythical Creatures: The ogre represents an encounter with a supernatural or monstrous being.
Good vs. Evil: The story depicts the struggle between the virtuous hunter and the malevolent ogre.
Hero’s Journey: The hunter’s transformative adventure highlights his bravery and growth as a hero.
► From the same Region or People
Learn more about the Berber peoples
Translated by G. Mercier
and Chauncey C. Starkweather
Some hunters set out with their camels. When they came to the hunting-ground they loosed their camels to let them graze, and hunted until the setting of the sun, and then came back to their camp. One day while one of them was going along he saw the marks of an ogre, each one three feet wide, and began to follow them. He proceeded and found the place where the ogre had lately made his lair. He returned and said to his companions: “I’ve found the traces of an ogre. Come, let us seek him.”
“No,” they answered, “we will not go to seek him, because we are not stronger than he is.”
“Grant me fourteen days,” said the huntsman. “If I return, you shall see. If not, take back my camel with the game.”
► Continue reading…
The next day he set out and began to follow the traces of the ogre. He walked for four days, when he discovered a cave, into which he entered. Within he found a beautiful woman, who said to him:
“What brings thee here, where thou wilt be devoured by this ogre?”
“But thou,” answered the hunter, “what is thy story and how did the ogre bring thee here?”
“Three days ago he stole me,” she replied. “I was betrothed to the son of my uncle, then the ogre took me. I have stayed in the cavern. He often brings me food. I stay here, and he does not kill me.”
“Where does he enter,” asked the hunter, “when he comes back here?”
“This is the way,” she answered. The hunter went in to the middle of the cave, loaded his gun, and waited. At sunset the ogre arrived. The hunter took aim and fired, hitting the ogre between the eyes as he was sitting down. Approaching him he saw that he had brought with him two men to cook and eat them. In the morning he employed the day in collecting the hidden silver, took what he could, and set out on the return. On the fourteenth day he arrived at the place where he had left his comrades, and found them there.
“Leave the game you have secured and return with me to the cave,” he said to them. When they arrived they took all the arms and clothing, loaded it upon their camels, and set out to return to their village. Half way home they fought to see which one should marry the woman. The powder spoke between them. Our man killed four, and took the woman home and married her.
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