Once upon a time, a partridge landed near a palm tree, made her nest in the middle of weeds and laid eggs. Some days later, the eggs gave birth to four babies and the mother had to scan the area all the day in search of small insects to nourish them. On a high rocky mountain, near the palm tree, there lived an eagle and three of his eaglets. As time went on, he noticed the partridge’s goings and comings and thought it was high time to start plotting against the peaceful small family.

“We’re starving, my kids! I think we should get something to eat.” Said the father eagle. “Here’s a bit of rat you’ve just hunted, dad.” Replied the youngest eaglet. “Oh, it’s not enough for all of us, and I’m getting disgusted with eating at every meal a rat meat; there must be something better somewhere around here, don’t you think so, kids?” The father told his sons who all looked immediately down at the partridge’s nest. “Let’s attack the partridge below and once we’ve eaten up the flesh we’ll throw the feathers into the sea.” Suggested the eldest of the eaglets. “That’s not a good way to hide our misdeed, sonny! divers may come upon and encounter the feathers floating on water and the story of an eagle that has eaten his neighbour, the partridge, will go the round of birds’ kingdom !” Said the father eagle bitterly. “We may attack her and burry her feathers low underground.” Proposed the elder eaglet. “That’s not very brainy, kid; at shortage time everyone will go back to his hiding place to dig up his food, and if someone comes upon the feathers, all the birds will soon hear about the eagle who attacked his neighbour, the partridge.” Said again the father eagle disappointedly. “So to avoid any possible risk, we’ve to eat her flesh and her feathers, daddy.” Said the youngest eaglet who was listening to and analysing his brothers’ answers during the conversation. “That’s a good idea, sonny! When an eagle eats a partridge, he mustn’t leave a feather of her in nature.” Said the father eagle proudly. “If I die and leave an idiot as a successor, I’ll be for ever lost in people’s memory.” He added looking disdainfully at his two elder sons who were looking down as they were ashamed of themselves.

Comment:

This is a Kabyle tale already written as a song by the famous singer, Idir, in 1970s. Among many other things we learn from this tale is that wisdom is not exclusively the property of the elders; very interesting ideas turn around in young people’s brain and the adult should urge their children to express their ideas instead of excluding them from family gatherings and adult conversations.

I remember that when I was a child, in order to drive me out from the family discussions, where only the elders have the right to speak, my father used to address me reproachfully with a Kabyle proverb that says: “ttadanen iyuzadh ddaw yemmat-sen !” which means simply that it is not logical to hear a child speaking in an adult gathering.

The Kabyle society does not offer their children practical lessons about freedom of speech and opinion, so we should not be astonished or disappointed today when we see our political leaders and governors banishing all the voices that do not sound like theirs. In their mind, since they are in a higher position, they think they are the adults (symbol of knowledge and wisdom), and the ordinary people, in a lower position, represent the children (symbol of ignorance and foolishness).

By: Djaafar. Messaoudi