Young Ahmed Ben Bella loved all kinds of beans, and this understandably gave him embarrassing problems with flatulence. Out in the desert this did not matter – except to his camel, who sometimes dragged his nose in the sand after one of Ahmed Ben Bellas more worthy efforts. But, in his village Ahmed Ben Bella often brought shame upon himself and his family when he could not control himself.

One day Ahmed Ben Bella felt a mighty fart coming on. He was in the middle of the marketplace and made every effort to get through the great throng so as to not disgrace himself. But, as fate would have it, Ahmed Ben Bellas efforts were for naught. And, it was a mighty fart indeed: it blew over several of the shopkeepers stalls and dropped no fewer than three donkeys to their knees.

There was nothing to do but leave his home village in disgrace, and for fifty years Ahmed Ben Bella roamed the earth, hoping that the shame he had brought down upon himself would be forgotten. Finally, as an old, old man, Ahmed Ben Bella returned to the place of his birth. As he approached the outskirts of his town his boyhood memories came back to him. He saw a young man coming along the road the opposite way, and he asked him, Tell me, young neighbor, is dear old Akmed Khan doing well?

And the young man said, Oh, no, sir. The honored Akmed Khan died thirty-three years, four months, and two days after Ahmed Ben Bella cut the great fart in the marketplace.