Meghan Anthony

“Habib Rides Backwards

One day, Habib wanted to go give a lesson in the school. There were some students with him, but he rode his donkey backwards. So one student asked him in astonishment, “Why do you ride on your donkey backwards?”
Habib said to him, “If I were riding him in the straight way, then you would all be behind me. And if you were in front of me, then I would be behind you. Therefore, my riding backwards is correct.”
― Ayoub Imilouane, Tales of Habib the Hoaxter: Sometimes Hoaxed, Always Good for a Laugh

“Habib wanted to buy a donkey, so he went to the market,
stopped by a donkey he liked, and said to his owner, after an argument over the price, "That's all I have with me now, so either you sell me the donkey, or I'll be on my way."
Finally the man agreed, and Habib left, dragging the donkey behind him.
Two thieves saw him, and they agreed to steal the donkey. One of them crept up lightly and untied the rope from the donkey's neck without Habib feeling a thing. Then the thief tied the rope around his own neck. Through all this, Habib felt nothing of what was going on.
The thief walked behind Habib while the other thief walked with the donkey, and the people passing by saw this and marveled at the sight and laughed.
Habib marveled at himself and said, "Perhaps their admiration and laughter are due to the fact that they admire my donkey."
When Habib arrived at his house, he turned around toward the donkey, and he saw the man, who was crying.
The rope was on his neck, and Habib was amazed at his condition and said to him, "Who are you?"
The thief stopped crying and wiped his tears, saying, "Sir, I am an ignorant man. I angered my mother."
Habib said, "And then what?"
The thief said, "So my mother prayed over me and asked God to curse me and transform me into a donkey, and God answered her prayer. When my big brother saw this, he wanted to get rid of me, so he put me up for sale in the market. Then you came and bought me, and with your blessing and your caring, I returned to being human, as I was!" And the thief took Habib's hand, praying his thanks to God.
Habib befriended him, and he set him free after advising him to obey his mother and to beg her forgiveness and prayers.
The next day, Habib returned to the market to buy a donkey, and he saw the same donkey and recognized him.
Habib approached the donkey and whispered in his ear, saying, "Obviously you did not hear my words, and you angered your mother a second time. By God, I will never buy
you!”
― Ayoub Imilouane, Tales of Habib the Hoaxter: Sometimes Hoaxed, Always Good for a Laugh