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Overview
After escaping a hostile giant’s house, a boy and his sister reach a city whose inhabitants are in mourning. They explain that a seven-headed serpent lives there and must receive a girl to eat every week. The next victim is the princess. The boy goes to the cave entrance where the serpent emerges and waits. When the princess arrives, she urges him to leave because the creature will eat them both. He refuses. Once the serpent appears, he draws his sword and kills it with a single blow. He asks the princess only for her handkerchief, cuts out the seven tongues, wraps them in it and returns to his lodging.
A passing charcoal burner finds the corpse, removes its seven heads and uses them to claim the victory. The king prepares a marriage between him and the princess. A dog belonging to the real slayer interrupts the feast by taking the impostor’s dish, bringing the boy into the dispute. Inspection shows that all seven heads lack tongues. The boy supplies the missing parts and the princess’s handkerchief; he marries her and becomes king after her father’s death. This serpent is a weekly civic-tribute predator killed outside its cave. Its episode differs from the seven-headed owner killed by Keejeepaa in the Sultan Darai tale, where the cook and daily household cycle structure the encounter.
Origins & earliest records
Hans Stumme, Märchen der Schluḥ von Tázerwalt (Leipzig, 1895), tale 4, Die Geschichte von zwei Kindern, einem Knaben und einem Mädchen. Der Knabe tötete die Schlange: complete German translation pp. 81–83. Preface v–vi identifies Abdulla Ben Mhammed and Leipzig dictation context.
Records & interpretation
Whole German tale 4 read through the boy’s marriage and succession, including the dogs’ initial appearances, giant attack, sister’s healing/meal plot and the complete serpent/false-claimant resolution. Source-specific roles and stated dimensions retained; original Tashelhit is not independently retranslated.
Selected bibliography
Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.
- 01
Märchen der Schluḥ von Tázerwalt
Tale 4, whole German pp. 81–83; contributor/collection Preface v–vi.
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.
- Primary collected Tashelhit transcription with German translationOriginal bilingual collection: Two Children and the SerpentResearch access: 2026-10-05
Image credits
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