Udea and Her Seven Brothers
A Libyan fairy tale collected by Hans Stumme in Tripoli. A woman with seven sons gives birth to a daughter, Udea. The seven brothers are driven away from home by a rival female spirit and set out into the world. The mother promises them a sign when Udea is born: a red flag for a daughter, a white one for a son. The rival spirit arranges for a white flag to be raised instead of red, tricking the brothers into thinking they have another brother. Years later, Udea grows up, learns of her brothers, and sets out to find them. She travels through dangerous territory and eventually locates them, but