
Salomon And The Griffin
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Author / Collector:
René Basset, PH.D.
Book:
Moorish Literature
Publisher:
University of France
Year:
1901
Country:
Arabic
License:
Public Domain (copyright expired)
Editor's Notes:
This is a Berber tale
Salomon And The Griffin: fate, prophecy, lovers united, divine will, magical beings, separation, reunion, destiny
Subject:
Salomon And The Griffin
Our Lord Salomon was talking one day with the genii. He said to them:
"There is born a girl at Dabersa and a boy at Djaberka. This boy and this
girl shall meet," he added. The griffin said to the genii: "In spite of the
will of the divine power, I shall never let them meet each other." The son
of the King of Djaberka came to Salomon's house, but hardly had he arrived
when he fell ill; then the griffin carried away the daughter of the King of
Djaberka and put her upon a big tree at the shore of the sea. The wind
impelled the prince, who had embarked. He said to his companions, "Put me
ashore." He went under the big tree and fell asleep. The young girl threw
leaves at him. He opened his eyes, and she said to him: "Beside the
griffin, I am alone here with my mother. Where do you come from?"
"From Djaberka."
"Why," she continued, "has God created any human beings except myself, my
mother, and our Lord Salomon?"
He answered her, "God has created all kinds of human beings and countries."
"Go," she said, "bring a horse and kill it. Bring also some camphor to dry
the skin, which you will hang on the top of the mast." The griffin came,
and she began to cry, saying, "Why don't you conduct me to the house of our
Lord Salomon?"
"To-morrow I will take you."
She said to the son of the King, "Go hide inside the horse." He hid there.
The next day the griffin took away the carcass of the horse, and the young
girl departed also. When they arrived at the house of our Lord Salomon, the
latter said to the griffin, "I told you that the young girl and the young
man should be united."
Full of shame the griffin immediately fled and took refuge in an island.
Folktales, Fairytales, myths, legends, stories, fantasy