The sea king’s message accompanying these priceless gifts read as follows: “I send you a present that will enable you to live in peace and leisure for the rest of your days. Your compassion has won you the best bride on earth.”

Jan Knappert is a folklorist and writer specializing in African and Asian languages and oral literature. He first gathered Berber and Moroccan lore while working in Morocco in 1957. He is the author of Tales of Mystery and Miracle from Morocco (Hamilton, New Zealand: Outrigger Publishers, 1976) and Islamic Legends, 2 vols. (Leiden, Holland: E.J. Brill, 1985).