Child-Bargaining Demon of the Sultan's Son

Overview

A childless ruler is approached by a demon who has made himself look like a man. The visitor rejects offers of half the ruler's wealth and half his towns, asking instead for one of two expected children. His medicine is given to the ruler's wife, who eventually bears three sons. Under the pretext of teaching them, the visitor takes the children to a well-stocked house and instructs them in reading and learning. Later the Sultan chooses two of the boys from the proposed division, leaving one with the demon. The adopted child receives all the house keys and finds rooms of animal bones and human skulls, followed by a chamber containing a living horse.

The boy's investigation first exposes another concealed resource. In one room he finds liquid gold and puts a finger into it. The gold adheres and cannot be wiped away, so he binds the finger with a rag and tells his returning guardian that he has cut himself. Only on a later absence does he open the successive rooms of goats, sheep, oxen, donkeys and horses, followed by human skulls. The keys have actually been given with permission to open anything; the danger is the occupant's predatory household, rather than a stated forbidden-door rule.

The horse explains that the apparent father eats people and animals, and predicts the preparations for consuming the two remaining captives. Following its instructions, the boy repeatedly claims ignorance or weakness, making the demon collect firewood, arrange a cauldron and heat the ghee himself. A swing above the cauldron is presented as a game. The child asks for a demonstration, then pushes the demonstrator into the hot fat, where he dies. The boy escapes on the horse. Invited companions arrive hungry, eat the contents of the cauldron without recognizing their host, and eventually leave after further meals. The rescued youth subsequently establishes a prosperous household in another town.

Origins & earliest records

Edward Steere prints this Swahili tale alongside an English translation in his 1870 volume. Preface p. ix credits Hamisi wa Kayi, also written Khamis bin Abubekr, as its teller. The printed witness records this contributor and translation, rather than establishing a first invention date or a present-day universal belief.

Records & interpretation

Complete The Spirit Who Was Cheated by the Sultan's Son read through its ending, printed pp. 381-389; containing title begins at p. 379. Printed pp. 381-387 explicitly identify the demon's human disguise, medicine bargain, adopted child, devoured victims and fatal reversal; pp. 389 completes the escaped child's marriage.

In the literature

Selected bibliography

Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.

1. 01

   Swahili Tales - The Spirit Who Was Cheated by the Sultan's Son

   Hamisi wa Kayi, storyteller; Edward Steere, collector and translator · 1870

   Title p. 379; complete English narrative pp. 381-389; contributor credit preface p. ix.

2. 02

   Swahili Tales, as Told by Natives of Zanzibar — The Spirit Who Was Cheated by the Sultan’s Son

   Hamisi wa Kayi (Khamis bin Abubekr), narrative contributor; Edward Steere, collector and translator · 1870

   London: Bell & Daldy, 1870, actual title-page OCR independently read. Complete selected The Spirit Who Was Cheated by the Sultan’s Son, title p.379, English pp.381/383/385/387/389, facing Swahili placement and relevant preface v–x independently read. Hamisi wa Kayi/Khamis bin Abubekr explicitly credited at preface ix. No whole-volume claim.

Family & connections

A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.

Located primary passages

Specific passages supporting details in this entry, grouped by their published witness.

References

Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.

1. Digitized collected primary narrative in translationSteere 1870 - spirit and Sultan's sonResearch access: 2026-10-05

Image credits

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