Black Horse

The King’s Son and the Woodcutter’s Son

In short: In a White Nile tale, a whisper separates two friends and a riddle by the river brings them back together.

The King’s Son and the Woodcutter’s Son · Three signs from a boat FAIRY TALE ATLAS · № 248 The King’s Son and the Woodcutter’s Son In a White Nile tale, a whisper separates two friends and a riddle by the river brings them back together. Origin Al-Duwaim, White Nile, Sudan Atlas record 2022 First appearance Exact date unknown SIGNATURE MOTIF Three signs from a boat Reach¹ 1/10 Suggested age² 8+ Member rating No votes yet 1 records · 1 countries or regions blackhorsestories.com

¹ Based on the number of Atlas countries, capped at 10. ² Editorial suggestion for reading this page. Discover Black Horse’s question

Origin and tradition

Al-Duwaim, White Nile, Sudan

In the Al-Duwaim telling, an older woman pretends to whisper a secret to the woodcutter’s son. The king’s son believes something is being kept from him, and the friendship breaks. Later, a girl in a boat throws him a stone and a piece of charcoal and taps a tooth. Unable to read the signs, the king’s son turns to his old friend. The first signal carried no message. The second needs his friend’s help to be understood.

Dated records and sources

  1. 2022 · Al-Duwaim, White Nile, Sudan
    Ahmed Al-Shahi / F. C. T. Moore · Wisdom from the Desert · no. 4, Al-Duwaim · Published collection

Country pages

Origin
Black Horse. The King’s Son and the Woodcutter’s Son. https://blackhorsestories.com/en/atlas-tale-sudan-king-woodcutter-sons/