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These are the stories of the folk artist Muhammad Harb, known as Abu Subhi al-Tinawi. The artist grew up in Damascus, but his paintings reached Europe and America. Tinawi practiced the art of glass painting, a folk art known in the Balkan countries and Tunisia. He drew his scenes from folk stories and religious stories. When the boy was born more than 100 years ago in the alleys of Old Damascus, they called him Muhammad, as an example to the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace. ...

A farmer had a large garden that he cared for completely. He strove to arrange, organize, irrigate, and fertilize it. It bore much fruit, and he profited greatly from it. The man knew that his three sons hated agriculture and despised the cultivation of orchards. Their goal was to learn something else to get rich quickly. When the father grew old and felt the end of his life approaching, he called his three sons and said to them: My dear sons, I have left you a large fortune of gold. I placed it in a large pot and hid it in the garden’s land. After my death, dig the earth and search for this fortune if you desire it. The three sons tried to make their father tell them the place where he had put this gold fortune or even show them the direction where it was hidden, but he didn’t answer their request. ...

Nour invited her friend the Sun to her birthday party. Nour said to her mother: We want to celebrate on the balcony so the Sun can participate in the celebration. Then friends came carrying beautiful gifts for their friends, but the Sun was very sad because she couldn’t give her friend anything on her birthday. But she sang a birthday song for her with the girls and boys from friends, neighbors, and relatives. Then Nour blew out her six candles, then cut the cake, and everyone ate from it while they were happy. Then Nour shouted: Oh no, oh no. My tooth has fallen. Nour’s mother said to her: Don’t cry, my dear, this happens to all children. Then Maha, Nour’s friend, said: Listen, take your tooth, Nour, then throw it to the Sun. Perhaps the Sun will give you a new tooth of pearl. ...

In one of the places full of roses, greenery, flowers, and fruits on trees, one of the merchants placed a beehive on the edge of one of the rivers, in a location far from sight. The Queen and the Workers: The queen bee rejoiced at this choice, showing features of joy and delight. She decided to give instructions to the workers and males. The working bees began working hard, without fatigue or boredom, flying over flowers to absorb nectar and make honey. ...

This story tells the tale of two small children. Their father was a woodcutter and had a wife whom he had married after the death of the children’s mother to take care of them. But the wicked stepmother didn’t love the children as she should, so she often incited the father against them, to leave them in a place far from home, so she would remain alone as mistress of the place, and no one other than her would win the father’s love. ...

In one of the ancient kingdoms, there lived an unhappy king with much fat and flesh. He suffered greatly from his increased weight. He gathered the wise men to seek a solution to his problem, for he couldn’t walk or move much. Pain and ailments accompanied him, and the king lived in misery and torment because of his ailing body. Unfortunately, none of the wise men could do anything for the king, so he was overcome with grief and worry, living in unhappiness that spread throughout the entire kingdom. Until a wise physician came to the kingdom. When the king learned of him, he summoned him and asked him to cure him of his condition, in exchange for bestowing upon him money and gifts. ...

There was a beautiful lake surrounded by lush green grass, beautiful trees, and mountains from all sides. On the shores of this lake grew the most delicious banana trees. On top of these trees lived a large monkey for a period of time. In that lake also lived a small number of crocodiles. There was one crocodile who came every day to collect banana fruits that fell from these trees. This crocodile visited the trees every day until he became an intimate friend of the monkey. The crocodile and the monkey met every day and played together. The monkey also helped the crocodile by providing more fresh banana fruits from the tree. Their strong relationship with each other continued until they became close. ...

In one of the ancient kingdoms lived a miserable king who was very fat and fleshy. He suffered greatly from his increased weight, so he gathered the wise men to look for a solution to his problem. He couldn’t walk and move much, and pains and ailments gathered upon him. The king lived in misery and torment because of his sick body. But unfortunately, none of the wise men could do anything for the king, so he was afflicted with grief and worry and lived in misery that spread throughout the entire kingdom, until a wise physician came to the kingdom. When the king learned of his matter, he summoned him and asked him to treat him from his condition, in exchange for pouring out money and gifts upon him. ...

Our Arab popular heritage, its exciting tales and beautiful myths, are the best we can hear or read. Every time we listen to a short story from our heritage, we may learn how that legend began or the secret of its name. Our legend is like a novel about the reason for naming the rainbow by this name, but it is known in brotherly Algeria as “Arous al-Gaith” or “Bride of the Rain.” ...

There were three brothers living together in a small cabin near the forest. The first was named Samuel, the second Timothy, and the third Zander. The three were hardworking and honest. They worked every day in the forest cutting wood, then went to the market to sell it at a suitable price. To spend on themselves and be able to live, their lives continued this way, but after a period of time they became dissatisfied with their lives, for each one of them wanted to live differently. ...