They see like an owl,
And walk like a tortoise.
Their wool descends to their hoofs and so completely covers their head that, literally, nothing but their eyes is visible. In the Sahara and in the kuesours, a zedja, or fleece, is worth only one boudjou, but the price is greatly enhanced by the time it reaches the Tell, and especially the sea-coast. Some sheep have no horns, and are called fertass [bald]. Others, again, have four, and are known as el kuerbourb; while others have horns that are bent back, and are named el kheroubi.
The Arabs take no care whatever of their sheep. They have no sheds in which to shelter them from the severity of the weather, nor supplies of forage to save them from starvation. Consequently, in bad seasons they frequently lose one-half of their flocks, and if blamed for this carelessness, or offered advice, they answer quite simply: "To what purpose is all that? They are the property of Allah [Kher Eurby]. He does with them as it pleases Him. Our ewes give us two lambs every year. Next year our losses will be repaired."
The following sentiments are ascribed to sheep:—
"I love the close hand, that is, to belong to a miser who would neither sell us, nor slaughter us for the entertainment of his guests.
"I love distant market-places; for when they are near to my master, for one reason or another we are sold, or slaughtered.
"And every day a new house; that is, fresh and more abundant pasturage."
Sheep are the fortune of the child of the desert. He says of them: "Their wool serves to make our tents, our carpets, our garments, our horse-cloths, our sacks, our nose-bags, our camel's-packs, our ropes, our cushions. And what remains in excess of our own necessities we sell in the kuesours or in the Tell, when we go there, after harvest, to buy grain. Their flesh we eat, or give it to be eaten by the guests of Allah. Dried in the sun, it will keep, and be of use to us in our journeys. Their milk is very serviceable to our families, whether as drink or food. We make of it leben or sheneen [sour milk], and what is over we give to our horses. We also get butter from it, which enters into the preparation of our food, or which we exchange in the kuesours for dates. Of their skin we make cushions, and buckets to draw water from the well. With it we ornament the aâtatouches[[90]] of our women, or we dress it for shoe-leather. We have no need to plough, or sow, or reap, or thresh out the corn, or to fatigue ourselves like vile slaves, or like the wretched inhabitants of the Tell. No; we are independent, we pray, we trade, we hunt, we travel, and if we have occasion to procure that which others can only obtain by sweat and toil, we sell our sheep, and forthwith provide ourselves with arms, horses, women, jewels, clothes, or whatever else affords us gratification, or embellishes our existence. The owner of sheep has no need to labour, nor is he ever in want of anything. So Allah has willed it!"