When two strong men meet face to face…
The “dearest enemy” is a favorite motive in literature, probably because it is so in real life. Two persons (usually two men), through contesting each other for a long time – be it in war, sport, business or profession – often gain respect for each other’s capabilities, and respect may ripen into admiration. Such admiration does not recognize “Border, nor Breed, nor Birth”: the “dearest enemy” motive is the theme of ‘The Ballad of Boh Da Thone’ (from Burma), ‘Piet’ (from South Africa) and ‘Fuzzy-Wuzzy’ (from the Sudan) – as well as ‘The Ballad of East and West‘ in the next section on stories from Afghanistan.