Once, the pen put its head in its cap to sleep for a while, after drawing two lines on a white paper. One was a straight line, while the other was a curved line. But the pen heard some conversations between the two lines before closing its eyes.
The conversations between the straight line and the curved line reached the point of screaming. So the pen took its head out to see what was happening between the two lines. It found the curved line screaming, walking like a snake, saying: “Get out, oh straight line, from this paper, because your harsh shape reminds me of a cane.”
The straight line replied to the curved line, saying: “You are mistaken, oh curved line. I represent order, reason, and logic. I don’t represent harshness and violence.” The curved line shouted, saying: “Be quiet, and look at me to know who I am.” Then the curved line proceeded in its movement with all softness.
The curved line managed to form flowers, leaves, and animals, then laughed, saying to the straight line: “Did you see how I move with all agility and lightness? You too move and form beautiful shapes like mine.”
The straight line moved right and left, where it went back and forth on the surface of the paper, until it drew a beautiful star shape on the paper. Then it stood waiting for its friend the curved line’s comment, who felt shame as soon as he saw this star, because he didn’t expect his friend to draw it.
After the curved line felt shame from himself, he wrapped around the star with all lightness and delicacy, until he managed to draw a beautiful crescent around it. The pen clapped for the two lines because he felt joy, saying: “It’s time for me to sleep in peace by the light of the star and the crescent.”
The pen put its head in its cap again to sleep, then began snoring in a deep sleep, until he emitted a snoring sound that everyone around him could hear. This made all the lines on the paper laugh a lot, until they almost fell from the surface of the paper from the intensity of the laughter.
A story from Arabic children’s literature by the Syrian writer: “Khair al-Din Obeid”