the anta and Mamadou story

 A young man named Mamadou, who wanted to learn to read and write, set out one day in search of a school. He left his province to go to the Kayor region in Senegal.

There lived a scholar who taught children. Mamadou stayed with his master as long as necessary. When he could read and write perfectly, he decided to go home.

On the day of his departure, a classmate, who belonged to the genius species, said to him: “We are friends. Since you are returning home, I will load you with a message for my parents and I will transport you to your village at lightning speed. You don't know who I am, but I know you well, because we were born in the same place. We geniuses recognize you very well, but you humans cannot see us. When you are home, put this silver ring on your finger, and you will be able to see the spirits and their villages. If you take it away or lose it, everything will disappear again. The genie then asked Mamadou to sit down on his carpet and close his eyes. No sooner had Mamadou obeyed than he found himself, as if by magic, in his village.

The next morning, Mamadou put the ring on his finger. He then saw all the spirits and their villages. He went to visit his friend's family.

"The genius, your parent, sends you good morning," he said to them. "And where is he, our dear child?" he was asked. - I left him in a village in Kayor. He continues to attend school. - Ah, cried the parents, our brave little one is behaving well! And you, Mamadou, you have to go home, but whenever you have free time, be sure to come and see us. "

Mamadou returned to his parents, but, whenever he had the opportunity, he paid long visits to the geniuses. It was because he had seen his comrade's sister, Anta, a pretty young lady, and he wanted to marry her.

When he made her statement to her, Anta replied: “I don't ask for better! However, I hesitate to marry a human being… You are so angry! And so talkative! And you lie so easily! With us, it is not the same: a genius never loses its temper, he never betrays a secret; he only speaks to tell the truth. "

Mamadou protested: “When we get married, you will see that I don't get carried away either and that I never lie!” “If so, the marriage is concluded! I accept you as a husband. But I forbid you to reveal to anyone that you married a woman of the species of geniuses! - It is understood! Mamadou promised. - Well, declared Anta, we can celebrate our wedding. "

Since then, Anta and Mamadou lived happily.

But one day when Anta had left the village at dawn to visit his family, Mamadou woke up to find that during the night his millet granary had caught fire, his thoroughbred was dead, and his powerful bull had fallen to the bottom of the well. Mamadou, and his whole family with him, was in despair.

Anta returned at the end of the day. As she approached her husband's hut, she heard his mother lament: "In one day, here is your millet granary devoured by flames!" Your purebred horse is dying! Then it's your big bull - a five year old bull! - who also perishes! This house is going to be ruined in no time! It had to happen ! This is the consequence of your marriage to a woman of the genius species! With these words, Anta decided to return to her family. But before disappearing, she followed Mamadou to the fields and, when he fell asleep for a nap, she took off his silver ring.

When he woke up, Mamadou could no longer see the spirits or their villages. He tried to follow the path that led to Anta's, to no avail. The village had disappeared.

One fine day, Anta returned to the village of Mamadou. She found him asleep, and woke him up. He exclaimed: “Anta? ! Where are you from? - I come from my village. - That is not true! You all left him! ”“ No. We still live there. "" Then why do we no longer live as before? - It is because now our marriage is broken by my will! - Why did you break it? - Because you did not not kept your promise! When you asked me to become your wife, didn't I tell you that it would be difficult for me to stay that way because, you humans, you get carried away, you lie and you gossip back and forth? - And when did I get carried away? How did I lie? Why do you say I was talkative? - You had your tongue hanging out too much. - But what about? Tell me at last! ”“ Remember the day your millet granary was consumed, your horse died and your great bull fell into the well. All this, I was not unaware of it! But I left not to come back, because I heard your mother complaining about me, which is proof that you revealed our secret to her and that you betrayed your promise. I'll tell you what really happened: I stayed with you until dawn. Azrael, the angel of death with arms strewn with eyes and carrying a tree on his head, came. He wanted to get hold of you. I pushed it back and threw it back on your millet granary, which burned down. He then tried to take your mother away. I threw him onto the horse, which collapsed under his weight. He nevertheless persisted in staying, ready to take revenge on your sister. And I, a third time, fought and repelled him. He fell on the bull, which died falling into the well. If I had left you and your mother and sister to die, what would have happened to your house? She would have been lost! And if you are all still alive, it was thanks to the fire in the millet granary, the death of the horse and the death of the bull! Isn't it better that things turned out this way? You betrayed me, but before I left you forever, I had to reveal the truth to you. And Anta left.

Mamadou never saw her again.