A story from Saudi Arabia by Khalid Alzahrani A long time ago, there was a young Prince who wanted very much to find a wife. The Prince wanted his wife to be beautiful, but much more than that, the young prince wanted to marry an honest girl whom he could trust. One day, the Prince decided how he might find such a wife. ‘There will be a competition,’ he said, ‘and all of the girls in the village will be able to enter.’ So the girls of the village gathered to hear the Prince speak. They were all very beautiful, and all very eager to marry the handsome Prince. ‘I know how I will deci ... read more

CERTAIN THINGS CAN'T BE HIDDEN Once upon a time there was a trader who had a large flock of goats. People used to come from distant and nearby places to buy goats from him. Thud the trader was earning a lot from his trade. He had also employed a goat-herd who drove the flock to a pasture in the morning and after sunset, drove them back and shut them up in the fold. One day, the goat-herd was about to drive the flock back home as usual when he saw that some goats had strayed aside. So, he tried to get them back by calling and whistling. All the strayed goats returned and joined the flock ... read more

Long, long ago this story was told. It has been told ever since, and here I tell it to you today… The Story of the Drop of Honey. A hunter and his hound, high in the desert mountains, found a cave. The hunter in the cave found a hollow, and the hollow was filled with the most beautiful, clear honey. He took his water skin and filled the water skin with honey and left the cave and came down the mountains. He was not in his own land. And there in the town that he entered, he saw an oil seller. He went into that stall and offered his honey for sale – perhaps an exchange for some oil? ... read more

Nasreddin Hodja is the name of the wise fool in so many Turkish tales, and tales beyond Turkey through the Middle East and North Africa and far into the Balkans, into Russia, as far as India and China… Hodja Nasreddin had a lamb that was now fully grown. His neighbours came. ‘Nasreddin Hodja, your sheep is fat. Let us go and slaughter it by the river. The sun is shining. We will have a feast!’ ‘I don’t think so,’ said Nasreddin. ‘But, Nasreddin, haven’t you heard? The world is going to end tomorrow!’ ‘The world is going to end…? Very well.’ And they led the sheep down to the ... read more

THE ABODE OF GOD One day, an old lion felt hungry. Being unable to hunt, he thought of a plan and started limping. A monkey sitting on a tree saw him and asked, "Why are you limping?" At this the lion replied, "I have committed many sins in my life. Now I am old and want to repent for them. I am walking carefully so that I might not kill any ant on the way." The monkey came down from the tree to meet the noble lion. The lion at once caught hold of him. But the monkey was very clever. He suddenly started laughing. When the lion asked the reason for laughing, the monkey said, "One wh ... read more