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Ali the sand merchant

Diputación de Málaga
Arenas. Feria de la mula. Octubre. Fiesta Singular

Ali the sand merchant

Chronicles and Legends (si se trata de historia)

 In the years leading up to the Christian conquest of the area, the village of Arenas, then in Muslim hands, was home to a muleteer who sold silk and other products from the Axarquîa region, such as figs, grapes, raisins and oil.

He plied his trade along a route that took him from the villages of the aforementioned region of Málaga to the city of Granada, passing through Zafarraya Heights.

The merchant sometimes led his pack of mules through Zafarraya Pass along the most inaccessible of paths, which were often covered in snow. From this point onwards, the journey became slower and more tedious as the animals would slip and fall on the icy surface. As a result, many mules died and large quantities of merchandise were lost on these inhospitable mountain trails.

On one occasion, as Ali was passing through these snowy climes, he spotted an elderly man lying next to some stones by the side of the path, numb with cold. Ali rescued the man, fed him and warmed him up again until he was well enough to continue his journey alone. The old man thanked Ali for all that he had done and gave him some advice that was to prove invaluable.

Knowing that he was from the village of Arenas, a place where large quantities of quality sand were extracted construction purposes, the man he told Ali that on his next trip, he should bring a mule loaded with sand that he could then deposit on the icy paths, thus preventing his pack from slipping. Ali followed the suggestion and was amazed at the result. His mules trotted with far greater confidence along the snowier sections of the route, which now became infinitely safer.

Understanding the significance of this discovery for travellers in general, Ali decided to change professions, becoming a sand merchant. From that day on, he took sand with him on his journeys, charging fellow travellers before depositing it on the paths to prevent man and beast alike from slipping. This new enterprise proved immensely profitable, and the muleteer who had helped the elderly Muslim in distress henceforth became known as Ali the sand merchant.

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