This is Volume I of Guy de Maupassant's Collective Short Stories, including Allouma, Alexandre, Chali, Martine, The Grave, and The Model. Monsieur Auballe, a Parisian, is captivated by Allouma, an Arab girl who is later given to him by his servant Mohammed. Their meeting leads to a period of happy life, but that is not the whole story. Though the Parisian is allured and conquered by beautiful Allouma, he finds "their feelings are not refined enough to rouse that sentimental exaltation in [them], which is the poetry of love." Likewise, Allouma always feels the irresistible desire to return to the Nomad's life. The ending must and can only be Allouma's running away with a shepherd, "a type of a barbarous brute." Maupassant not only tells a story, but also informs us of the truth that the meeting of souls is something uncontrollable in face of "the insurmountable barrier" which "incomprehensible nature" sets up between every man and woman.

在故事《阿萝玛》中，一位名叫阿萝玛的阿拉伯姑娘被奴仆默罕默德送给了他的主人。她的温婉迷人深深地吸引了这位来自异域的男主人公，他们开始了一段生活。可是她身上所固有的原始部落的野性使她最终和一个牧羊人一起逃离了她的主人。读者在这里看到的不是一个故事，而是一种生活现实：只有本性相同的两个人最终才能走到一起。所有这些细节写得生动真切，富有情趣，能给人一种以小见大的艺术享受。