Black Horse

Wiil Waal’s Riddle

In short: In a Somali folktale, Wiil Waal asks which part of a sheep stands for what can unite or divide people.

Wiil Waal’s Riddle · The ruler’s sheep riddle FAIRY TALE ATLAS · № 252 Wiil Waal’s Riddle In a Somali folktale, Wiil Waal asks which part of a sheep stands for what can unite or divide people. Origin Saint Paul, Minnesota · publication site Atlas record 2007 First appearance Exact date unknown SIGNATURE MOTIF The ruler’s sheep riddle Reach¹ 2/10 Suggested age² 8+ Member rating No votes yet 1 records · 2 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

Saint Paul, Minnesota · publication site

In Kathleen Moriarty’s 2007 retelling, many people bring the ruler choice cuts of meat. A girl tells her father to choose the gullet. The riddle turns on how sharing food can bring people together. Her father carries the answer to the ruler, but it is the girl who works it out.

Dated records and sources

  1. 2007 · Saint Paul, Minnesota · publication site
    Kathleen Moriarty / Jamal Adam / Amin Amir · Wiil Waal · Minnesota Humanities Center, Somali Bilingual Book Project · Public retelling

Country pages

Origin
Black Horse. Wiil Waal’s Riddle. https://blackhorsestories.com/en/atlas-tale-wiil-waal/