The blessed month of Ramadan began, and the children of the village spread in the streets carrying beautiful lanterns and chanting the beautiful Ramadan chants, playing in front of the shop of Uncle Ahmed, the confectionery seller, who welcomed them with welcome and greeting.
The weather was nice, and at the time of the evening cannon, the children were running and rejoicing at the advent of Ramadan and its crescent. While the children were playing and rejoicing, the big-headed genie with the crooked beard and the long red cat appeared and screamed in a terrifying voice, saying, “Hoh, where are they?”
The children were terrified. There was no one there but them, and they didn’t reply to him. They continued playing. The genie got angry and screamed in their faces, saying, “Go to your houses now.” The eldest child responded to him, his name Khalaf, and said to him, “We’re waiting for the cannons, Uncle Farj.” The genie responded to him, “Go now, or I’ll punish you.”
The children left the street and went to the side of the confectionery shop and played before him, but the genie didn’t leave them. He screamed in them again, so Uncle Ahmed, the confectionery seller, said to him to let the children play, for they are the adornment of life in this world, but he screamed angrily and said to him, “Shut up, you confectionery seller, or I’ll punish you with them.”
The children left, and at the time of cannons, the sounds of Ramadan drums began in the middle of the quietness that used to cover the streets. He began chanting with his habitual words, but he tried to look around him for the children, as was their habit every year, but he didn’t find them.
The genie screamed and said, “Where are they?” The drummer said to him, “I’m Uncle Mahmoud, the drummer. Every year and you’re well.” The genie said to him, “And you’re well.” The drummer said to him, “Where are the children?” The genie said to him, “I drove them away, and they went to their houses.” Uncle Mahmoud said to him, “Why did you do this? They comfort me alone and wake the fasters with me. Don’t you know they’re the guards who bring the genies?” The genie said in fear, “May the Lord of the Worlds punish us, oh genie.”
The genie marched a second day, as was his habit in the streets, walking and saying, “Hoh, where are they?” He heard the voice of the drum calling, and sought refuge with God from the cursed devils. Afterward he saw a mouse hiding in a cranny, heard terrifying sounds coming from devils, and saw the figure of the old woman moving before him. He remembered the drummer’s words, was terrified, began mentioning God, but the old woman continued approaching him, and his eyes were shining a terrifying light and screaming terrifying sounds.
The genie was terrified and fell upon him unconscious on the hand of Uncle Mahmoud, the drummer, saying to him, “What happened to you? Have you seen genies?” The genie said to him in anger, “There’s nothing like these things. Get away from my face.” Uncle Mahmoud, the drummer, said to him, “Let the children play as they want, and you won’t see any genie.” From that day, the genie didn’t expose himself to the children, and he left them playing in the village.