Iv - University of Salford Institutional Repository
Iv - University of Salford Institutional Repository Iv - University of Salford Institutional Repository
The doum free of Wad Hamid 9 people who travel very much, and when we wish to do so for some important flatter such as registering land, or seeking advice about a matter of divorce, we take a morning's ride on our donkeys and then board the steamer from the neighbour- ing village. My son, we have grown accustomed to this, in fact it is precisely for this reason that we breed donkeys. It is little wonder, then, that the government official could see nothing in the people's faces to indicate that they were pleased with the news. His enthusiasm waned and, being at his wit's end, he began to fumble for words. 'Where will the stopping-place be? someone asked him after a period of silence. The official replied that there was only one suitable place-----wliere the down tree stood. Had you that instant brought along a woman and had her stand among those men as naked as the day her mother bore her, they could not have been more astonished. Ile steamer usually passes here on a Wednesday,' one of the men quickly replied; 'if you made a stopping-place, then it would be here on Wednesday afternoon.' The official replied that the time fixed for the steamer to stop by their village would bc four o'clock on Wednesday afternoon. 'But that is the time when we visit the tomb of Wad Hamid at the doum tree,' answered the man; 'when we take our women and children and make offerings. We do this every week.' The official laughed. 'Then change the day!' he replied. Had the official told these in at that moment that every one of them was a bastard, that would not have angered them more than this remark of his. They rose up as one man, bore down upon him, and would certainly have killed him if I had not intervened 260
lo The doum tree of Wad Hamid and snatched him from their clutches. I then put him on a donkey and told him to make good his escape. And so it was that the steamer still does not stop here and that we still ride off on our donkeys for a whole morning and take the steamer from the neighbouring village when circum- stances require us to travel. We content ourselves with the thought th at we visit the tomb of Wad H amid with our women and children and that we make offerings there every Wednesday as our fathers and fathers' fathers did before us. Excuse me, my son, while I perform the sunset prayer—it is said that the sunset prayer is `strange': if you don't catch it in time it eludes you. God's pious servants—I declare that there is no god but God and I declare that Mohamed is His Servant and His Prophet—Peace be upon you and the mercy of God! Ah, ah. For a week this back of mine has been giving me pain. What do you think it is, my son? I know, though—it's just old age. Oh to be young! In my young days I would breakfast off half a sheep, drink the milk of five cows for supper, and be able to lift a sack of dates with one hand. He lies who says be ever beat me at wrestling. They used to call me 'the crocodile'. Once I swam the river, using my chest to push a boat loaded with wheat to the other shore—at night! On the shore were some men at work at their water-wheels, who threw down their clothes in terror and fled when they saw me pushing the boat towards them. 'Oh people,' I shouted at them, 'what's wrong, shame upon you! Don't you know me? I'm "the crocodile". By God, the devils themselves would be scared off by your ugly faces. My son, have you asked me what we do when we're ill? 261
- Page 221 and 222: feel proud of myself. He found me w
- Page 223 and 224: to be sacrificed to the content. Th
- Page 225 and 226: d) All informants identified the be
- Page 227 and 228: d) All informants detected an ambig
- Page 229 and 230: CONCLUSION In conclusion, we shall
- Page 231 and 232: all levels. This is discussed in Ch
- Page 233 and 234: BIBLIOGRAPHY ADEN, J M (ed.), (1963
- Page 235 and 236: FRAWLEY, W, (ed.), (1984), Translat
- Page 237 and 238: KHULUSI, S, (1986), Fann Al-Targama
- Page 239 and 240: SHAHEEN, Abdus-Sabour, (1986), Al-A
- Page 241 and 242: '71 r CI0,‘ Co. • 1/4/. Ck. CS\
- Page 243 and 244: .n•n••. < • Ci E• sc, tct
- Page 245 and 246: • • 1.54:•71.7 , • . • .
- Page 247 and 248: 250 THE JOURNAL OF STRATEGIC STUDIE
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- Page 283 and 284: 271 ST11. : TaKen trom: POET:IY by
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The doum free <strong>of</strong> Wad Hamid 9<br />
people who travel very much, and when we wish to do so for<br />
some important flatter such as registering land, or seeking<br />
advice about a matter <strong>of</strong> divorce, we take a morning's ride<br />
on our donkeys and then board the steamer from the neighbour-<br />
ing village. My son, we have grown accustomed to this, in fact<br />
it is precisely for this reason that we breed donkeys. It is<br />
little wonder, then, that the government <strong>of</strong>ficial could see<br />
nothing in the people's faces to indicate that they were pleased<br />
with the news. His enthusiasm waned and, being at his wit's<br />
end, he began to fumble for words.<br />
'Where will the stopping-place be? someone asked him after<br />
a period <strong>of</strong> silence. The <strong>of</strong>ficial replied that there was only<br />
one suitable place-----wliere the down tree stood. Had you that<br />
instant brought along a woman and had her stand among those<br />
men as naked as the day her mother bore her, they could not<br />
have been more astonished.<br />
Ile steamer usually passes here on a Wednesday,' one <strong>of</strong><br />
the men quickly replied; 'if you made a stopping-place, then<br />
it would be here on Wednesday afternoon.' The <strong>of</strong>ficial replied<br />
that the time fixed for the steamer to stop by their village<br />
would bc four o'clock on Wednesday afternoon.<br />
'But that is the time when we visit the tomb <strong>of</strong> Wad Hamid<br />
at the doum tree,' answered the man; 'when we take our women<br />
and children and make <strong>of</strong>ferings. We do this every week.' The<br />
<strong>of</strong>ficial laughed. 'Then change the day!' he replied. Had the<br />
<strong>of</strong>ficial told these in at that moment that every one <strong>of</strong> them<br />
was a bastard, that would not have angered them more than<br />
this remark <strong>of</strong> his. They rose up as one man, bore down upon<br />
him, and would certainly have killed him if I had not intervened<br />
260
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