s house. Ali goes down into the
hole, takes the treasure, and puts it into the basket. Ou Ali draws up the
basket, takes it, abandons his friend, now a prisoner, and runs to hide the
treasure in the forest. Ali was in trouble, for he knew not how to get out.
What could he do? He climbed up the sides of the hole. When he found
himself in the house, he opened the door and fled. Arriving at the edge of
the forest he began to bleat. Ou Ali, thinking it was a ewe, ran up. It was
his friend.

"O my dear," cried Ali, "I have found you at last."

"God be praised. Now, let us carry our treasure."

They started on the way. Ou Ali, who had a sister, said to Ali: "Let us go
to my sister's house." They arrived at nightfall. She received them with
joy. Her brother said to her:

"Prepare some pancakes and some eggs for us."

She prepared the pancakes and the eggs and served them with the food.

"O my sister," cried Ou Ali, "my friend does not like eggs; bring us some
water." She went to get the water. As soon as she had gone, Ali took an egg
and put it into his mouth. When the woman returned, he made such efforts to
give it up that he was all out of breath. The repast was finished, and Ali
had not eaten anything. Ou Ali said to his sister: "O my sister, my friend
is ill; bring me a skewer." She brought him a skewer, which he put into the
fire. When the skewer was red with the heat, Ou Ali seized it and applied
it to the cheek of Ali. The latter uttered a cry, and rejected the egg.
"Truly," said the woman, "you do not like eggs."

The two friends started and arrived at a village.

"Let us go to my sister's house," said Ali to his friend. She received them
with open arms.

Ali said to her: "O my sister, prepare a good stew for us."

They placed themselves at the table at nightfall, and she served them with
food.

"O my sister," cried Ali, "my friend does not like stew."

Ali ate alone. When he was satisfied, the two friends started, without
forgetting the treasure. On the way Ali said to Ou Ali: "Give it to me
to-day and I will deposit it in my house." He took it and gave it to his
wife. "Bury me," he said to her. "And if Ou Ali comes tell him that his old
friend is dead, and receive him with tears." Ou Ali arrived, and asked the
woman in tears to see the tomb of his dead friend. He took an ox-horn and
began to dig in the earth that covered the body.

"Behind! behind!" cried the pretended dead man.

"Get up, there, you l