The Tuareg tell the story of a woman who saw a koulibali, a rock hyrax, in the bush. She took a stone to drive it away, when the koulibali said in a human voice: "Don't hurt me, I am a woman like you". She changed into her human form and said: "I am a gennia, the wife of a djinn, and I live not far from here. I am expecting a child. Will you come to me when the day of the birth comes?"

"I'll be happy to," said the woman, "but you must send for me, I don't know where you live."

Gennia agreed and the two women said goodbye.

After a while, a dog came to the Tuareg tents and fetched the woman. As soon as she stepped out of the tent, he turned into a child and said: "Come with me".

The woman followed him into the mountains. A djinni on a horse was waiting for her there and the woman was very frightened. But the djinni said: "Don't be afraid, I'll take you to my wife, the birth is imminent."

He put her on his horse and said: "Close your eyes!"

The woman closed her eyes until he said: "Open your eyes!" 

There they were in the realm of the djinn, who were camped there with their animals. The woman was led to the gennia and they helped her give birth to seven children. What a joy that was! When all the children had been washed and wrapped in goatskins, the woman said goodbye. The djinni gave her oxen, cows and camels as thanks and the woman returned home richly endowed.

© translated by Lysander Jaenike, version by Djamila Jaenike, based on:  La femme amie de la gennia in: F. de Zeltner, Contes du Sénégal et du Niger, Paris 1913