ZAYED UNIVERSITY’S AL KHARAREEF STORYTELLING CLUB was created to enrich the legacy of the Emirati storytelling tradition and contribute to the revival of this important cultural heritage within the United Arab Emirates.
Last year, the Club in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation launched an Emirati cultural literacy project titled the Story Mile, a collection of 48 original fables and folktales, written by students from the Academic Bridge Program, illustrated by the College of Arts and Creative Enterprise majors and translated by ZOWD volunteers into the language of its characters, Emirati dialect.
The Story Mile tales, which are the first of a three volume series, were recently published as a book in English and titled “Tales from the Emirates” in Arabic. The stories not only share the storytelling tradition of the Emirates, but have also introduced other key aspects of Emirati culture and are creating new footprints in the sands of the cultural landscape of the UAE.
Mansoor was the richest man in the country. He lived in a huge palace with his parents and liked to visit many countries. One day, he was traveling by ship when a strong wave hit his boat and it sank. He lost everything and didn’t know what to do.
He swam and swam until he reached the shore. Then he walked until he couldn’t move anymore. He found himself in a forest and started looking for food. There was a huge tree, so he cut off some leaves and ate them, before falling asleep.
When he awoke, he found his body had changed into a tiger’s. “What happened to me?” he shouted. As he walked around the forest, he saw a small, simple house in the distance. As he approached, he saw a gorgeous girl whose name was Mahra. When the tiger came closer, Mahra and her mother ran inside. “Please don’t leave me. I am in trouble. I don’t know what to do,” said the tiger. Mahra’s mother believed him and welcomed him into their house.
As he told them his story, he started falling in love with Mahra. “I want to help you, but first tell me, what does that tree look like?” the mother asked. Mansoor said, “It has two large branches that act as a hand.” The mother immediately knew what to do, “Go back to that tree and say you are sorry. It will believe you because you are kind.” Mahra encouraged him to do as her mother had said.
Mansoor went back to the tree and said, “I’m sorry” very loudly. Suddenly, a green light covered him and he was human once more. Mansoor thanked God and ran back to Mahra’s house where he found her waiting. He knelt on one knee and said, “l am Mansoor and I love you.” Mahra’s eyes glowed brighter than gold. He asked Mahra’s mother for permission to marry her because her father was dead.
After they were married, Mansoor took Mahra and her mother to his palace where they lived a joyful and happy life together.
By Huda Ahmed Abboudsaad Al Breiki
