Donkey-Meal Ogre of Beni Menacer

Overview

Two wives of the same man go to gather beans, bringing a donkey to carry them. They enter the ogre’s bean crop. Seeing them, he takes their animal away, kills it and invites them to dine at his house, where he serves its flesh. The woman the story calls intelligent recognizes the meat and conceals her portion beneath the mat. The other eats without recognizing what has been served.

After the meal the ogre demands the return of what they have eaten. The woman who hid her portion can produce it. Her companion protests that he himself gave them the meat and now regrets doing so. The ogre kills her but allows the woman who did not eat to return home. Recognition and the concealed portion decide the two guests’ different fates; the complete account ends with the survivor’s return.

Origins & earliest records

René Basset, Contes populaires berbères (1887), no. 33, headed Beni Menacer, complete printed pp. 69–70. Original note 68, printed p. 176, identifies Moh’ammed ’Abdi, who dictated the Berber text at Cherchel in 1884; Basset cites its earlier publication in the second series of Notes de lexicographie berbère, pp. 109–111.

Records & interpretation

Complete French narrative inspected in original facsimile DjVu pages 107–108, printed pp. 69–70, including the contrasting final outcomes. Original note 68 on printed p. 176 inspected for this precise attribution.

Selected bibliography

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

1. 01

   Contes populaires berbères

   René Basset, translator and editor · 1887

   No. 33, L’ogre et les deux femmes, complete pp. 69–70. Original note 68, printed p. 176, identifies Moh’ammed ’Abdi, who dictated the Berber text at Cherchel in 1884; Basset cites its earlier publication in the second series of Notes de lexicographie berbère, pp. 109–111.

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.

References

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

1. Primary collected narrative; original facsimile inspectedOriginal edition, complete narrative 33Research access: 2026-10-05

Image credits

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