In one work, this character successfully stakes his life to win a mancala-style board game against a king sitting in (15[1])a room of beautiful swords. One woman’s fear about the popularity of this character leads her (-5[1])to summon a group of nine (-5[1])witches to kill him, (15[1])but the witches are so impressed that they instead begin to (15[1])assist (15[1])this (15[1])character. (10[1])This character, (10[1])who was introduced (15[1])to (15[1])Western audiences through (15[2])(*) Djibirl Tamsir Niane’s 1960 translation (15[1])of one work, is born after (15[1])his father makes a (10[1])promise to marry an ugly maiden. In a climactic battle, this (10[2])character fires an arrow tipped with a cock’s spur. (10[1])This character, (10[1])who first uses (10[2])the (10[1]0[1])branch (10[3])of a baobab tree to walk, (10[2])was (10[1])given (10[1])a (10[1])griot companion by his (10[1])father. (10[2])After (-5[1])a return (10[1])from exile, this character and his mother (10[1])Sogolon defeat the sorcerer Sumanguru. (10[1])For 10 points, (10[1])name this central character (-5[1])of an (10[1])oral epic and founder of the Mali Empire. (10[1])■END■ (10[2])