the manner of most folk tales and fables, the stories are designed to entertain listeners and guide them through life’s dilemmas. As specifically Arabic stories, they offer advice on overcoming the difficulties of desert life. Finally, they share with readers and listeners the valuable lessons we can take from the experiences of others.
The stories in this collection bring the Arab culture to life a pithy and colorful way, and offer readers a glimpse of the social, cultural and religious aspects of the Arab lifestyle before and after Islam. The values and moral norms of the desert dwellers—such as loyalty, hospitality, friendship, family bonds, keeping promises and telling the truth—are vividly if concisely portrayed. The traditional manner of the storytelling conveys that important sense of wisdom passing from the elderly to the young, so that children might learn life’s basic skills—how to get out of trouble, how to earn rewards, even how to save their own lives. Some stories expose readers to the original context behind proverbs, while others describe the creation of Islam according to the Islamic tradition. The Caliph, (Muslim ruler charged with providing leadership after the Prophet Muhammad), the judge, the sheikh (an old man, also a tribal leader because of his rich life experience and wisdom), the poet and other figures such as Juha/Goha (a funny man, a wise fool, whose stories are full of wit and wisdom), a thief, a poor man, and even animals constitute the main characters of these stories.
The stories in this collection have been edited and simplified for teaching purposes. We have replaced complex grammatical structures with simple ones that, while more comprehendible, are nevertheless intended to challenge students. We have tried to keep the vocabulary to words that are in common use. Each story focuses on only one incident, has a single plot, a single setting, a limited number of characters, and takes place over a short period of time. Arabic Stories is geared toward intermediate and advanced students at the secondary and university level, adult language classes, and individual study. The stories are recorded to help students develop and enhance listening comprehension skills.
Alongside the Arabic versions we have provided an English translation to help students who are in the early phases of learning the language. It is our hope that, with these translations, readers who are not yet students of the language may enjoy the glimpse these stories provide into the Arab culture and Arab life.
Enjoy your reading.
2013
—Hezi Brosh (Ph.D.), United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland
—Lutfi Mansur (Ph.D.) The Academic Arab Institute, Beit Berl College, Israel
Being Employed Is Better Than Being Unemployed
A man came to the prophet and said to him: O, messenger of God, I am poor and I cannot find food to feed my children and family. Help me.
The prophet gave him an ax and said to him: Go to the forest and gather wood, then return to me.
The man went to the forest and gathered a bundle of wood, then sold it and bought food and clothes for his children. When he returned, the prophet said to him: All work, no matter how simple, is better than sitting around complaining about poverty and waiting for charity.
Juha and the Police Officer
Juha left his house in the middle of the night and was walking the streets when a police officer encountered him and asked: What are you doing in the street in the middle of the night?
Juha replied: My sleep ran away, and I’m looking for it.
Detail from The Night Halt (Muhammad Zaman flor. 1649-1694), page from an album of paintings and calligraphy most of whose pages are now stored at the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg. Gouache, gold and ink on paper, 1660–1665, Iran. Department of Islamic art, Louvre Museum. Former Duffeuty collection; gift of the Friends of the Louvre, 1998.
The Child and the Grocer
A boy went to the grocery store to buy 60 dirhams worth of dates. The grocer gave him dates but reduced the weight. The boy said: Why are these dates lighter?
The grocer replied: To make it easier for you to carry it.
He asked for the money, and the boy paid him fifty dirhams.
The grocer said: The price of the dates is sixty dirhams. Why did you pay less?
The boy replied: To make it easier for you to count the money.
Juha and the Thief
Juha sensed that there was a thief in his house one night, so he went to his bedroom closet and hid in it. The thief was looking for something to steal but couldn’t find anything. When he saw the closet he opened it, and there was Juha inside. The thief was frightened, but he took courage and said: What are you doing here, old man?
To that Juha replied: I’m sorry, sir, but I knew that you wouldn’t find anything worth stealing, and for that I was ashamed and hid out of embarrassment.
Detail from The Owner of a House and a Thief, 1663 (1703 AH). Walters Art Museum W.626.136). Acquired by Henry Walters.
If I Had Been Riding It, I Would Have Been Lost
One day Juha’s donkey was missing, so he started to search for it, praising God and thanking him.
People asked him, Why do you praise God and thank him when your ass has been lost?
And Juha said: I praise him and thank him because if I was riding the donkey, I would have been lost with it.
An Appropriate Answer
A Bedouin entered the place of one of the princes, and he saw the prince sitting and all the notables around him,
