Nabīl the little, son of the skilled fisherman Ḥasan, used to go out every day with his father to watch him, during his work in fishing, to witness what he did in amazement. One morning, Nabīl ascended to the surface of the boat. As soon as the engine started, amidst the blue waters of the sea, the fishermen began to prepare their nets to obtain the largest quantity of fish. ...
Awrā was a very beloved princess in the kingdom. She was distinguished by kindness, gentleness, and beauty. Her parents lived in a beautiful palace that contained everything she desired of things, except one single thing which she had longed for greatly since her childhood: knowing the moon. There were many kings who wished to realize the princess’s dream. They feared they would never be able to realize it, for there was an evil sorceress living in the kingdom. She had worked magic when the princess was a small child, and this magic made the princess fall asleep at night to sleep, distressed by the mere disappearance of the sun. She could never awaken at that time. ...
From a very long time ago, when all things were at their beginning—even plants and stars and almost all ancient things were extremely small—there was a school with a special class that all the students loved because it expressed joy better. The students studied colors in that class from the color white to the color black, passing through red and blue and brown and all the remaining colors. They prepared many colors to become more magnificent. ...
Each of us has flaws of a unique kind, but in this world nothing goes to waste. You may think you are useless, but somehow the flaws you possess can turn into a blessing you never imagined, as happened in the story of the cracked pot. In one of the Indian villages there was a water carrier named Mahindar. He had two large pots that he carried hanging on his shoulders along the road. One of them was cracked at the top, and water would drip from it along the way. When he reached home, he would find the cracked pot with only half the water. ...
Nūrā was accustomed to sitting in the lap of her beloved grandmother to listen to a story, Samr and the Moon, at the end of each week. Every time her grandmother began the story, she would embrace her to her chest and say affectionately: “There was once a beautiful girl whose name was Samr. Samr would contemplate the sky and watch the stars every night, dreaming of reaching the moon.” The grandmother would look at the sky through the window, and Nūrā would follow her with her eyes, hoping to see something in the sky. ...
In one village there were three wives, none of whom had become pregnant despite several years passing since their marriages. One day the neighbors heard a vendor calling in the street: “Apples for pregnancy! Apples for pregnancy!” They hurried to him, and he had two apples and half an apple. He gave the first wife one apple, the second wife one apple, and the third wife half the apple. The first wife gave birth to a boy and named him Nāfiʿ, the second wife gave birth to a boy and named him ʿUmar, and the third wife gave birth to a boy of strange appearance and named him Niṣf Nuṣayṣ. He had one sound arm and the other paralyzed, and the same condition with his legs, but he was brilliant in intelligence. ...
The hoopoe summoned the birds of the forest from early morning to an emergency meeting, and it seemed that something grave had happened or was about to happen. Such summonses occur only in rare cases. The birds hurriedly wiped the traces of sleep from their eyes and set off on their way toward the large square, trying to guess the reason for this sudden summons. When the attendance was complete, the hoopoe stepped forward and spoke. “You know, my dears, that this forest is our home and the home of our ancestors, and it will be for our children and grandchildren.” ...
Reem looked out the window and saw nothing because of the night. Warm steam came out of her mouth and nose, filling the glass. She drew lines and circles on the glass with her finger. The night ate my tree, Father, my tree that I planted. I don’t see it. In the morning, a wind blew in the garden, and Reem looked out the window and saw the houses and trees in their places. ...
It was time for Belle to sleep, but her stomach was hurting a little, so she sat in front of the balcony of the house where she lived. Suddenly she saw a cat running, followed by a number of boys. It was clear that they had harmed him. Fortunately, he found a small hole beneath the stairs of a somewhat old building. He ran toward it, not intending anything, and entered it. The boys tried to reach him, but he disappeared, and they couldn’t go down into that hole, so they all left laughing. ...
She came to me shyly, saying: I want to buy a doll, my daughter. And why a doll now? She said: I want to play with it like my friends. So I said to her: Is playing with a doll necessary? She said: Yes, I wish I had a doll to change her clothes and make her shampoo her hair. So the father said: I will try, God willing. So I went to the doll shop, hoping to find a cheap one. I wished I hadn’t bought some fruit this morning so that I would be able to buy the doll she wanted. For my little daughter is smart and sweet and shy. She dreams all the time of having toys like her friends, and I always postpone it with many excuses. She doesn’t get angry but stays silent and submits. The excuses didn’t work this time, and there was no trick left, so I must buy her a doll. ...