An imaginary tale.
It was morning when the girls went to collect wood for fire. After thirty minutes of walking they reached the nearby forest. Each one of them started doing her daily job. Two hours later, the girls finished collecting firewood. So, they had to tie it up. All of them succeeded in doing so, except Hayna who was unable to tie with a rope the wood she had collected. Her friends tried so hard to help her but in vain. There was something strange that kept cutting the rope. Hayna was abandoned and left in the forest, after the departure of her friends. Suddenly, there was something peculiar that made her quiver. It was a stormy wind accompanied with hollow sounds. Some moments later, the girl took notice of a fearful monster, which came to her and said roughly "do not worry. I will help you tie your wood, but you have got to know that if your mother uses salt or butter, I will come and overtake you". Hayna had no choice; she accepted and made her way home weeping her tears on her sleeves. "Oh my mother please! Don’t use salt and butter anymore, because a monster promised to take me with him if you do so". Said Hayna desperately. The mother soothed her daughter and told her not to worry.
Many years later, the mother felt obliged to use salt and butter. "Do not be afraid my dear; nothing will happen" said the mother. But it was a great mistake. At that moment, the sky became cloudy and there was a strong wind blowing. The helpless Hayna was frightened. She knew that he was coming. The monster arrived and said "Hayna! Come bring me the comb!" (A trick used to make her get near him). "My mum will do" replied Hayna. "No I said you who must bring the comb" insisted the animal. However she did not obey and repeated" let my aunt bring it to you". Now the monster felt that the blood was going up to his brain. He said angrily" let your mum carry you and hand it to me." The mother carried her daughter with the comb in her hand. As soon as they got near him, he kidnapped Hayna and damaged the eyes of her mother. This latter, came back saying: "Hayna is gone, my eyes are damaged…" after a month the cousin of Hayna returned from his business travel for the sake of marrying her. This was a promise made before his travel. He got off his white horse and sat with his family. While their discussion, he seemed concerned much with the absence of somebody. "Where is Hayna?" he demanded. Then, all the members of the family started weeping and told him that she is dead. It was a shocking surprise that he had ever heard. From that day on, he used to visit her grave. Her death became a wound that does not close, as it were. One day, and while he was going to the cemetery, he was stopped by an old woman. "Oh! My son your family lied to you; Hayna is not dead, she is kidnapped by a monster." Said the old woman. This was a great shock for him. He presently made his way home to ask why he was told lies instead of truth. The family thought that not telling him the truth would save him from the evil of that monster. The young-man quickly got ready and decided to find her and fight the monster. Our hero went through the hill looking for Hayna. On the way he asked the red hill. "Why are you so sad?" "How can't I be sad after seeing Hayna passing from here with that fearful monster?" Replied the red hill. When arriving at the white hill he said: "why are you so white and happy?" "How can't I be happy while Hayna lives here beside me!" cheerfully answered the white hill. Hayna's cousin was sure that he was about to find her. All of a sudden, he observed a passing-by chicken and asked: "do you know a woman called Hayna?" "Yes sure, she lives in that house with a scary monster." The chicken replied sympathetically. Then he told the chicken to go to that house and call for the woman. Hayna then, was hopeless; she didn't believe what the chicken was saying. "Go go… how can any human being come to this desert!" said Hayna. The helpless chicken desperately turned to the cousin and said that Hayna refused to believe. "What is she doing?" he demanded. "She is spinning the linen" the chicken added. "So, here is a plan; you go and take a little of the linen. She will get out and follow you." The young-man planned. The chicken gaily did what she was told. When Hayna got out running after the chicken, she was surprised and completely taken in at the sight of her cousin. With a great ecstasy, she went to him and took him inside. Now, Hayna got back the gladness that was taken and the warmth that was raped. After that, Hayna felt as if stung when remembering the coming of the monster. "Now, I must hide you as well as your horse, the monster must be coming." But before that, they had to arrange their escape. "At midnight we will rouse ourselves and leave secretly." the youth said. Hayna had to paint everything with henna for the sake of making them deaf, and for the fear of being recognized by the monster; because anything in the house would tell him about the escape-at that era even things like furniture could speak and henna would stop them-. Now the monster came back and said roughly: "oh! There is a strange smell in the house, there might be somebody hidden here." "Oh don't make me laugh! How can anybody reach this isolated area?" Hayna replied cautiously. At midnight, the two lovers woke up while the lazy fat monster was in a deep slumber. But the animal was intelligent, because he tied up the hair of Hayna with his hand. "Cut it down!" Hayna carefully whispered to her cousin." No! I won't! I'll release it hair by hair." Added he. The young-man successfully accomplished his mission and departed with his partner on the white horse. By that time, the pestle started beating the head of the monster strongly and said: "wake up!! Hayna has gone! She has left!!" The pestle spoke because Hayna forgot to pain it with henna. The monster angrily woke up; and went after them saying: "oh! Hayna how could you leave me? Have you forgotten all those good things I've done for your sake? Do you remember when I used to eat donkeys meat and brought the gazelle one? Have you forgotten all the sacrifices I made so that I could please you? The poor monster got no response. The cousin threw a lot of nails and knives behind him. That was enough to injure the animal. However, the monster gave them an advice:" you will meet two eagles fighting each other, it will be better for you not to stop them. And if you find grape on your way, you shouldn't eat it."
Being very gay, Hayna and her cousin did not care about the betrayed monster. Some hours later, and to their horror, they came across two eagles that were battling. "Please! Don't stop them! Remember what the monster warned us of!" said Hayna to her cousin. "I don't care about that helpless monster and his advice. I will stop them." The young-man said. Hayna got off the horse and let him went to do what he desired. To his bad luck, he and his horse horribly was swallowed by one of the angry eagles. Hayna was shocked and could not believe what had happened. In a blink of an eye, she became stranded. Her agony made her forget about the advice of the monster. Suddenly, there was something shining that caught her attention. It was a bunch of grape. Without thinking about the results, she grabbed it and sent it to her stomach.
Amazingly, she turned into a hound. Hayna (as a hound) went on till she reached her family house. Of course, the family could not recognize their daughter with the new appearance. However, they allowed her to stay at home and live with dogs. At each night, when that eagle comes nearby home; the cousin starts calling Hayna from the inside of the eagle. "Oh! Hayna! What have you eaten for dinner?" the cousin asks. "I ate rubbish and I’m sleeping with dogs for the time being" answers Hayna. "Oh! My heart is sad…my heart is broken…" commented the cousin gloomily. After several nights, the family curiously wanted to know the secret behind those strange conversations. Therefore, they bathed the hound (Hayna), gave her good food and made her sleep. At night, again the swallowed young-man repeated:"oh! Hayna! What have you eaten for dinner tonight?" "I did have a good meal and now I'm sleeping with girls." Replied the hound happily. "Oh! My heart is happy! My heart is delighted…" said the cousin. The whole family realized that their son is swallowed by that eagle.
An old wise man from the clan suggested an effective plan: "if you want to catch that eagle, you should sacrifice a bull and offer it to the eagles." The eagles were enjoying their meal when the members of the family arrived. To their surprise, the eagles flew except one, whose belly was full of food. Then, the family detected that it must have been the one that had swallowed their son and his horse. "Get my son back to me!" the father of our hero bravely told the eagle. "Shall I give him back to you without his eyes?" said the eagle. "No perfect, as he was." Warned the father.
"Do you want him to come out without feet?" the eagle said coldly.
"I said perfect! Perfect!!!" the father said angrily.
The powerless eagle obeyed him, and let the son and his horse get out from his stomach into the outside world.
When coming back home, and during that happiness the son said that he wants to marry the hound. Everyone was astonished at his decision. But after a long quarrel, they sadly accepted his will. At the night of the wedding, the hound turned into a human being (Hayna). In the mean time, Hayna narrated her story to her family in order to clarify and give more information about her unbelievable experience.
Eventually, Hayna came back to the normal life and got married to her cousin who had saved her from the evil of the monster and happily lived by his side.
By Rachid Zahir
