It is told that a girl named Jamila lived with her grandmother after her parents died. Her grandmother loved her very much and was always afraid something bad would happen to her. She didn’t allow her to go out with the girls. Jamila was a girl of extreme beauty, and when she grew up, Jamil, her cousin, proposed to her.
In the same village, there were six girls who weren’t as beautiful as her, and none of them loved Jamila, nor did anyone propose to them. But they imagined Jamila was an arrogant girl because she didn’t play with them. Under the influence of jealousy and envy, the six girls went to Jamila’s grandmother and said to her, “Allow Jamila to go out with us today to the forest to gather firewood.”
The grandmother said, “I must ask Jamil’s grandfather first.” The grandfather said, “They’re not little girls. They’re able to take care of Jamila and look after her. Let her go with them.” But the hearts of the six girls didn’t carry any love for Jamila. The girls went to the forest and began gathering firewood. On the way, they stopped at a tall palm tree loaded with many dates.
One of the girls said, “Look at the fruits of this palm tree. How sweet these dates are! How I wish I could climb this palm tree.” Then Jamila said, “I can climb the palm tree.” Indeed, she began throwing dates to them, and they put them in their baskets. They put the green, inedible dates in Jamila’s basket. Then Jamila came down, and they continued walking until they reached a water well.
One of them said, “This well brings good luck. Any girl who throws her jewelry into the well will be happy in her marriage.” The six girls pretended to throw their jewelry and threw stones instead. Jamila threw her jewelry into the well. The girls continued their way, and one of them said, “Let’s rest and eat some dates.” When Jamila opened her basket, she found green, inedible dates!
She realized that the girls didn’t love her and didn’t welcome her. She said to them, “Why did you put the inedible fruits for me?” They said, “You have a palm tree at home, and we don’t have one.” Then another girl said, “Let’s put on our jewelry and adorn ourselves with it.” Indeed, they adorned themselves with their jewelry. Jamila said to them, “Why did you make me throw my jewelry into the well?” They said to her, “You’re rich, and you have a fiancé. After marriage, he will give you other jewelry.”
Another girl said to Jamila, “Why don’t you go back to the well and bring your jewelry?” That girl knew there was an ogre who appeared at night. If he saw anyone, he would take them and turn them into an ogre. Night had fallen, and Jamila went to the well. She couldn’t bring her jewelry from the well and felt afraid.
Suddenly the ogre appeared behind her. She said to him, “Don’t eat me, Uncle Ogre.” The ogre said to her, “Why did you come here?” She said, “To bring my jewelry.” He said to her, “I’ll give you gold in exchange for you coming with me tomorrow for an outing on horseback.” She said to him, “Very well, I’ll do it.”
The ogre drank the water and brought her gold. On the second day, he appeared in the form of a prince and took her for an outing on his horse. That day was Jamila’s wedding to Jamil. Jamil was inviting his friends and loved ones to the wedding, but they noticed her long absence. Jamil went to search for her everywhere and went to the forest looking for her.
Jamil traveled to many lands, searching from country to country for Jamila without success. Exhaustion overcame him, and he slept in the forest. When he woke up, he found an old woman. He asked her about Jamila. The old woman said to him, “There is in this palace an ogre with a beautiful girl—she might be Jamila. He wakes up for a month then sleeps for a full month.”
She sleeps an unnatural sleep, under a spell. When she wakes up, she’ll become an ogre. But if you go to her and cut her hair and nails, and when she sees your face, the magic will be removed and she’ll return to you. The old woman advised him, saying, “The ogre doesn’t stop eating as long as he’s awake, and if he sleeps, he won’t feel you. But you must kill his dog first.”
The old woman gave Jamil a small piece of wood, a piece of stone, and a vessel of water. She said to him, “If the ogre follows you, throw the piece of wood between you and him, then the piece of stone, then the water vessel.” After three days, Jamil mounted his horse, climbed to the top of the hill, entered the ogre’s house, and found Jamila sleeping.
He cut her hair and nails. Immediately Jamila woke up and rejoiced at Jamil. She said, “Finally, you’ve come to save me.” Jamil forgot to kill the dog. Then he took Jamila and fled quickly, but the dog discovered this. The dog attacked and bit the ogre, informing him of Jamila’s escape.
The ogre kept pursuing Jamila and Jamila. Jamil threw the staff, and it became a forest separating him from the ogre. But the ogre crossed it. After that, Jamil threw the pebbles, and they became a mountain between them. The ogre climbed it too. Finally, Jamil threw the water vessel, and it became a large sea of water.
The ogre said, “I will drink it, I and the dog.” He kept drinking, he and his dog. Every time he drank, the water increased again in the sea, without the ogre noticing. The dog’s belly swelled until it burst. Then another sound rang out—the ogre’s belly burst. Jamila returned to Jamil safely. Everyone learned what the six girls had done, so no one proposed to them. As for Jamila, she married Jamil and kept increasing in beauty upon beauty.