The Clever Monkey

Long ago, there was a poor couple living together. They didn’t have any offspring except a small hut they lived in and a small piece of land they survived from. They would build it and rely on earning their living from fruits growing on it. But what happened wasn’t according to expectations. One day, his wife became severely ill and went to work alone in the small hill, starting work, and she felt in her belly an intense beating. When she struck with her hand, she looked to see what it was, and there was a gold piece of pure gold. ...

The Deer and the Monkey

Once there was a monkey known to be truly fast in running. But he was seeking to win by any method, whether fair or cunning. His main concern was the small deer, who was walking slowly, which made it difficult for him to reach the finish that would begin at the last time. During the running races, the fox was responsible for organizing the competitors. One day, the fox announced in every place that the best competitor he had in the next race was the small deer. ...

The True Owner of the Bulls

In one of the distant villages of India, a farmer returned one evening while holding two bulls in his hand. He had bought them from the market and decided to benefit from them. The farmer was happy because he wouldn’t graze from others anymore, and with the presence of those bulls, he could cultivate his land by himself. The farmer was also planning to gain money by grazing the bulls for his farmer colleagues. ...

The Photographer Elephant

There was once an elephant of beautiful color. He thought he was a famous photographer one day, considering his intense love for photography. But his friends were always mocking his opinion and making fun of him. When he would say to his friends that he wanted to be a photographer who captures all images, they would laugh at his speech. Some of them would say: What foolishness! Don’t you learn there is no camera for photographing elephants! And others would say: You are wasting your time in something useless, as there is nothing to photograph for him in this place anyway. ...

I Love Life

Running… running more. A dog said while walking with my pregnant mother: I love this goat very much, my dog. She follows me to every place and plays with me until she watches me every day under

The Seven Brothers and the Thread

Our Arab heritage, from east to west, is filled with many stories and legends that our grandmothers narrated to us when we were small. The time has come to narrate some of what we heard. The story of the seven brothers is a lesson, admonition, and counsel. It is inspired by the Algerian folklore, and this is the story. There was a lady called Khadija, living with her husband in a simple hut. The couple wanted very much to be blessed with a baby girl, but God’s will is above everything, of course. So God blessed them with seven boys, one after another. Khadija kept giving birth to boys until her sons all agreed when their mother was pregnant with her last child, that if she didn’t give birth to a girl for them, they would all leave the house and never return to it again. ...

Hasina Ghost of the Tree

Some of the stories and narrations we hear from our grandmothers may not constitute heritage passed down by generations. They may be narrations about true events they lived at their age, by their familiarity with reality and that ancient time periods were indeed filled with events that today’s mind cannot easily believe. The narrator says and her name is Asma: We were sitting in our rural home one of the winter nights extremely cold in temperature. The weather was storming severely outside to a truly terrifying degree. During those thunderous storms and this unstable weather, the electrical current suddenly cut off. ...

The Cowardly Lion

Once there was a small lion inside the forest. His claws were strong, and his fangs appeared terrifying in shape. But despite his terrifying appearance, the lion named Gentilio was unable to frighten even a small mouse. He was kind and gentle. Therefore, the sparrows and all birds would play around him without any fear. The story of this gentle lion isn’t like any story. When the bird Alkalaq was flying around the world, the lion appeared like a very small ball of hair. When Alkalaq was late in his return, he saw the lion as if he were one of seven equal-sized lambs. Therefore, the bird went confidently in the direction of the sheep flock to take his little newborn lambs. ...

The Lady of the Whispering Death

We must learn from childhood not to betray, as betrayal is harsh, especially when it comes from the humans closest to our hearts. The betrayal of a loved one is like a stabbing sword. Its effect remains no matter how many days pass, and we meet other people, while the wound of treachery and betrayal remains in our hearts, fueling the curse of revenge within us. Therefore, it’s important that you learn not to betray, as happened in this story. ...

The Field Mouse Goes to the City

Once there was a small humble mouse. He lived in a residence inside one of the trees. His house appeared very comfortable and spacious, with benches and a beautiful bed surrounded by flowers, and curtains on the window made by spider threads. When food time came, the field mouse would go out searching for delicious fruits and refreshing water from the river. Later, he would hurry to the green plain to rest under the light of stars. All things brought him happiness. ...