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 " The True Friends "
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Below is a brief summary of my adapted work:"The True Friends", from the original timeless book of " Kalila and Damna ".
"The True Friends" is a work in which I have employed a cast of animated characters to underscore fundemental elements of trust and companionship, outlining the way that four disparate animals overcome the boundaries of species and natural enmity to establish true friendship and understanding.
The text concerns a sseries of episodes that involve four animals: a crow named Salaam, a rat called Zayrak, a turtle known as Nabil, and a deer named Rami. Salaam gains respect for Zayrak when he sees his devotion to a Blue Neck pigeon that has become his adoptive mother. After Zayrak's maternal figure and some other pigeons become enmeshed in a hunter's net, Zayrak works diligently to free her and the others from the trap so that they may escape danger. Salaam eventually wins Zayrak's trust despite the initial hesitancy that Zayrak holds for the crow, a natural predator. This type of cross-species good will is evident in the tale of Nabil who regrets the betrayal of a monkey friend named Mahir, due to the manipulation of people that he thought were his friends.
By demonstrating the human characteristics of these animals, I have endeavored to portray the way that people of differing races and cultures may come to a deeper appreciation and understanding for one another and live in harmony.
At the conclusion of your tale, the friends have formed a peaceful community where they are able to share their companionship as well as enjoy the company of others who are like themselves.
:The True Friends" seeks to convey a positive message regarding the value of friendship and trust, and I have chosen to tell this story through the experience of several animals who have taken on a host of decidedly human qualities.
I will post the story on the next thread to this contribution. I appreciate your feedback.Finally, I highly recommend that you read my previous post: كليلة و دمنة " التاريخ و المضمون
to grasp the full picture.
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Re: " The True Friends " (Re: wedzayneb)
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Below is the brief summary of my adapted work:"The True Friends" prepared by Dorrance Publishing Co. and sent to me as part of their acknowlegement of the artistic merits of my work and their willingness to publish it under their subsidy program.
"The True Friends" is a work in which you employ a cast of animated characters to underscore fundemental elements of trust and companionship, outlining the way that a trio of disparate animals overcome the boundaries of species and natural enmity to establish true friendship and understanding.
The text concerns a sseries of episodes that involve three animals: a crow named Salaam, a rat called Zayrak, and a turtle known as Nabil. Salaam gains respect for Zayrak when he sees his devotion to a Blue Neck pigeon that has become his adoptive mother. After Zayrak's maternal figure and some other pigeons become enmeshed in a hunter's net, Zayrak works diligently to free her and the others from the trap so that they may escape danger. Salaam eventually wins Zayrak's trust despite the initial hesitancy that Zayrak hols for the crow, a natural predator. This type of cross-species good will is evident in the tale of Nabil who regrets the betrayal of a monkey friend named Mahir, due to the manipulation of people that he thought were his friends.
By demonstrating the human characteristics of these animals, you have endeavored to portray the way that people of differing races and cultures may come to a deeper appreciation and understanding for one another and live in harmony.
At the conclusion of your tale, the friends have formed a peaceful community where they are able to share their companionship as well as enjoy the company of others who are like themselves.
:The True Friends" seeks to convey a positive message regarding the value of friendship and trust, and you have chosen to tell this story through the experience of several animals who take on a host of decidedly human qualities.
"The True Friends" is a work in which y
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Re: " The True Friends " (Re: wedzayneb)
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Below is the brief summary of my adapted work:"The True Friends" prepared by Dorrance Publishing Co. and sent to me as part of their acknowlegement of the artistic merits of my work and their willingness to publish it under their subsidy program.
"The True Friends" is a work in which you employ a cast of animated characters to underscore fundemental elements of trust and companionship, outlining the way that a trio of disparate animals overcome the boundaries of species and natural enmity to establish true friendship and understanding.
The text concerns a sseries of episodes that involve three animals: a crow named Salaam, a rat called Zayrak, and a turtle known as Nabil. Salaam gains respect for Zayrak when he sees his devotion to a Blue Neck pigeon that has become his adoptive mother. After Zayrak's maternal figure and some other pigeons become enmeshed in a hunter's net, Zayrak works diligently to free her and the others from the trap so that they may escape danger. Salaam eventually wins Zayrak's trust despite the initial hesitancy that Zayrak hols for the crow, a natural predator. This type of cross-species good will is evident in the tale of Nabil who regrets the betrayal of a monkey friend named Mahir, due to the manipulation of people that he thought were his friends.
By demonstrating the human characteristics of these animals, you have endeavored to portray the way that people of differing races and cultures may come to a deeper appreciation and understanding for one another and live in harmony.
At the conclusion of your tale, the friends have formed a peaceful community where they are able to share their companionship as well as enjoy the company of others who are like themselves.
:The True Friends" seeks to convey a positive message regarding the value of friendship and trust, and you have chosen to tell this story through the experience of several animals who take on a host of decidedly human qualities.
"The True Friends" is a work in which y
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MSN 8 with e-mail virus protection service: 2 months FREE*
MSN - More Useful Everyday
MSN Home | My MSN | Hotmail | Search | Shopping | Money | People & Chat
© 2003 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. TERMS OF USE Advertise TRUSTe Approved Privacy Statement GetNetWise
Below is the brief summary of my adapted work:"The True Friends" prepared by Dorrance Publishing Co. and sent to me as part of their acknowlegement of the artistic merits of my work and their willingness to publish it under their subsidy program.
"The True Friends" is a work in which you employ a cast of animated characters to underscore fundemental elements of trust and companionship, outlining the way that a trio of disparate animals overcome the boundaries of species and natural enmity to establish true friendship and understanding.
The text concerns a sseries of episodes that involve three animals: a crow named Salaam, a rat called Zayrak, and a turtle known as Nabil. Salaam gains respect for Zayrak when he sees his devotion to a Blue Neck pigeon that has become his adoptive mother. After Zayrak's maternal figure and some other pigeons become enmeshed in a hunter's net, Zayrak works diligently to free her and the others from the trap so that they may escape danger. Salaam eventually wins Zayrak's trust despite the initial hesitancy that Zayrak hols for the crow, a natural predator. This type of cross-species good will is evident in the tale of Nabil who regrets the betrayal of a monkey friend named Mahir, due to the manipulation of people that he thought were his friends.
By demonstrating the human characteristics of these animals, you have endeavored to portray the way that people of differing races and cultures may come to a deeper appreciation and understanding for one another and live in harmony.
At the conclusion of your tale, the friends have formed a peaceful community where they are able to share their companionship as well as enjoy the company of others who are like themselves.
:The True Friends" seeks to convey a positive message regarding the value of friendship and trust, and you have chosen to tell this story through the experience of several animals who take on a host of decidedly human qualities.
"The True Friends" is a work in which y
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MSN 8 with e-mail virus protection service: 2 months FREE*
MSN - More Useful Everyday
MSN Home | My MSN | Hotmail | Search | Shopping | Money | People & Chat
© 2003 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. TERMS OF USE Advertise TRUSTe Approved Privacy Statement GetNetWise
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Re: " The True Friends " (Re: wedzayneb)
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THE TRUE FRIENDS
Dabshalim, the king, said to Baidaba, the philosopher: “I have heard the story of close friends and how some evil beings have sewn the seeds of hatred amongst them and severed their relationship. Now, would you tell me a story about true friends, how they have initiated their relationship and enjoyed each other companionship?” Baidaba, the philosopher, answered: “A wise person would equate nothing with his friends. They are our impetus and first line of support for doing good deeds in life. They may also come to our rescue or comfort us when calamity hit. A better example for that is the story of the Blue Neck pigeon, the rat, the crow, the turtle, and the deer.” The king eagerly asked: “Would you tell me that story?”
So Baidaba proceeded: “It has been narrated that at the district of Sakwadgin, near the city of Dahir, there has been an area famous for its games. A Crow, named Salaam, has chosen a huge tree there as home. One day while Salaam, the crew, has been overseeing the surrounding area from his nest, he saw an ugly looking man with a net trap on his shoulder and a big stick in his hand, coming towards the tree. Salaam, the crow, said to himself: “A fatal mishap, either for me or someone else has brought this man here. I guess I have to wait and see.”
The man did not waste any time. He rapidly set up his trap next to the tree, scattered some seeds over it, walked away, and hid behind some distant tree.
Before long, a flock of pigeons led by a Blue Neck pigeon, landed next to the trap. The pigeons started immediately feeding on the seeds. Suddenly the trap was activated and all the pigeons were caught up in the net. Overjoyed, the bird catcher rushed restlessly towards his trap.
Hoping to free herself from trap, each trapped pigeon began individually flapping its wings against the net. The Blue Neck pigeon noticed how vainly those individual efforts were wasted. So she addressed the rest of the pigeons: “Don’t give up the fight. And let no single pigeon thinks solely of her freedom. However, let us all concertedly flap our wings against the net, so that we may succeed in taking off with the net.” The rest of the pigeons heeded the advice of their leader, the Blue Neck pigeon. And after a few unsuccessful attempts, the pigeons were able to take off with the net on the open sky. The bird catcher, who came close of catching up with the flying net, was bewildered by the whole spectacle, and could not help but utter words of frustrations. The flying net then reached high elevation. Driven by sheer curiosity Salaam, the crow, took of after the fly net.
Motivated by hope that at some point the net will ultimately drop down, the bird catcher decided to pursue the pigeons his only way possible. The blue neck pigeon looked down and noticed that the man was still after them. So she said to the pigeons: “If we continue flying with the net on the open space in this wilderness, this man will not let go of his hope that the net will fall down. However, if we fly over some human habitats, the man will be hindered by the maze of the buildings and he will definitely stop the pursuit. And just behind the buildings of the city of Dahir lies my nest over a huge tree. Under that tree is the principal home of my adopted son Zayrak, the rat. If we end there, my son Zayrak, the rat, will tear off the knots of the net around our bodies with his sharp teeth and will therefore free us all from the trap.”
Before long, the bird catcher could not keep up with the speed of the flying net and was frustrated with the city buildings that stood on his way, so he gave up the pursuit. As for Salaam, the crow, he was still curious and adamant on his pursuit to the flying net.
When the flying net came close to the home of Zayrak, the rat, the pigeons reduced the concerted flapping movement of their wings against the net. They stopped the flapping movement of their wings at the critical moment before landing safely next to the home of Zayrak, the rat.
Meanwhile, Salaam, the crow, landed on a shady tree that was beside Zayrak’s home. Salaam, the crow, was all ears and his eyes were fixated on the site of the net.
And so, the Blue Neck pigeon called Zayrak, the rat, by his name. Zayrak, the rat, recognized the voice of his adopting mother and came promptly out of his home. He was flabbergasted with the spectacle of the net and the trapped pigeons and was tongue-tied for a brief moment. Then he asked his adopting mother: “Dear mother, how did you get entrapped in this net?” The Blue Neck pigeon answered: “It is our fate, dear son. Even those who are mightier and larger can not escape their fate.”
Driven by an inborn desire in favoring those who are dearest to the heart, Zayrak, the rat, vigorously started to tear off the knots around his adopted mother. Seeing that, the Blue Neck pigeon emphatically directed her adopted son to work first on the knots around the rest of the pigeons and finish with the ones around her body. The Blue Neck stressed repeated her demands to her adopted son, but Zayrak, the rat, did not want to listen. When Zayrak, the rat, realized that his adopting was very persistent, he succumbed and said to her: “You were very adamant on your demands as if you have no regard for your own life. I wonder why?” The Blue Neck pigeon answered, “I am afraid that if you begin with the knots around my body and frees me first from the trap, your enthusiasm will diminish immediately afterwards. Therefore, you may not be able to finish the job and free the reset of the pigeons on a safe margin of time- in order for them to avoid any eminent danger. However, if you start working on the knots of the rest of the pigeons, you will not want me to suffer the agony of being entrapped for too long. Therefore, your enthusiasm will not be subdued and you will pull every strings in your energy until you see me out of the trap in as little time as possible.” Zayrak, the rat, was pleased by the response of his adopting mother and answered,” This level of altruism in you is in fact what causes me to love you the most.”
So then, Zayrak, the rat, heeded the demand of his adopting mother and worked on the knots with unwavering level of enthusiasm and energy until the last knot around the body of his adopting mother gave in to his sharp and diligent teeth work. Subsequently, all the pigeons were released from the trap. The pigeons then, hugged and kissed Zayrak, the rat, and expressed their gratitude for him in a very passionate manner. Then all the pigeons took off, displayed a dance of joy and disappeared in the sky. And Zayrak, the rat, slipped quietly into his hole.
Salaam, the crow, was moved entirely by what went on between the pigeons and the rat and he wanted badly to gain the friendship of Zayrak, the rat. So he landed next to the main hole of Zayrak, the rat, and started to call the rat by his name. Zayrak, the rat, heard the unfamiliar echoing of his name from his underground residence, and became apprehensive. He cautiously approached the opening of his hole and looked around, with only his head emerging out of the hole. Zayrak, the rat, was filled with fear when he saw a crow standing next to his hole. With a trembling voice Zayrak, the rat, addressed the crow: “What do you want from me?” The crow answered in a very mild and friendly manner: “I am Salaam, the crow. I have seen what you did for the pigeons. I admire you for that, and I want you to accept me as a friend.” Astonished, Zayrak, the rat, paused briefly and then answered: “Hmm! Let us be real fella. There is nothing in common between us. As wise as I am, I will not accept this raw deal. I will always be your prey and you will always be one of my predators.” Salaam, the crow, answered calmly: “Obviously, eating you will only satisfy my instinctual desire for food for a short period of time. However, my satisfaction in gaining your friendship is eternal. And it will not be nice of you to reject a genuine overture of friendship.” Zayrak, the rat, then answered: “The worst hostility is the one that occurs between two different species. Such hostility comes in two different forms. The first is between those of competitive strength, such as the one between the elephant and the lion. It is unpredictable who will come out as a winner here. The second is between those of unequal strength. A good example of that is the one between you and I. If such hostility becomes physical, you will ultimately emerge as the winner and I will end up being your food. Befriending a natural enemy is a risky business. A friendship between a man and his domesticated snake is not a wise thing to do. If a man becomes trusty and complacent enough to carry the snake in his pocket, there is a great chance that at some time down the line the snake will end up biting the man.” Salaam, the crow, then answered: “I certainly understand where you are coming from. It is evidently very natural of your kind to be skeptical to an overture of friendship from an assumed natural enemy. But please, please, don’t shut all the doors in front of me. I am a good living being with a big heart and good intentions. You too, are a good-hearted being. And they say that affinity between good-hearted beings is readily incepted and hardly disconnected. And so is a golden mug, hard to break but easily fixed if it is ever damaged. On the other hand, affinity between evil hearted beings is readily disconnected and hardly incepted. And so is a mug of clay, very fragile and it can never be reconstructed. Good- hearted beings spontaneously socialize with good-hearted beings, nonetheless, evil hearted beings affiliate or socialize with no one except out of submission, greediness, or self -centered causes. I am dying for your friendship, Zayrak, because you are a good hearted being. And I have decided to stay next to your hole and refrain from food and water till you change your mind and accept me as a friend.”
Zayrak, the rat, sensed that the crow has a pure heart and good intentions. So he said to him: “I accept you as a friend. Never in my life have I turned down individuals with good hearts who expressed genuine desire in me as a friend. Nonetheless, I initially came across to you as skeptical and cautious to find out how genuine and credible you are. And just in case you turned out to be a fake and have betrayed my friendship, you would not conclude that you have found Zayrak, the rat, easily fooled out.” At that moment, Zayrak, the rat, came completely out of his hole. However, he stayed next to his hole and did not approach Salaam, the crow. So the crow asked the rat: “What makes you still suspicious about my motives and declines from getting closer to me?” Zayrak, the rat, answered: “ I do trust you. However, you belong to some species that sees us, the species of rat as food. And even if some of your kin see me with you, there is no guarantee that they will not try to prey on me.” So, Salaam, the crow, answered: “Whenever you are accompanying me, you are under my protection. You have to walk under my wing whenever it is not doomed safe. And the most outstanding sign of a true friend is being as accepting and friendlier to his/her friend’s friend, and as distant and non-accepting to his friend’s enemy, provided that their friendship is based on being good agents in life. And I have no friend who will not be as accepting and accommodating to you. And I will not hesitate one iota to boycott or even physically defend you against any aggressors, from or out the circle of my species.”
Following this revealing conversation, Zayrak, the rat, approached and hugged his new acquaintance, Salaam, the crow. At that critical moment, the Blue Neck pigeon was observed on the sky approaching her nest. She was stunned to see that unusual show of affection between her adopted son, Zayrak, the rat, and a crow. Torn between her inborn survival trait and the reality of the situation, the Blue Neck pigeon initially retreated, then she came back, hovered, and flew some circles around the site of her nest. Finally, she overcame her instinctual fear and landed on her nest. Zayrak, the rat, immediately, walked towards the tree and invited his adopting mother to come down, so that he may introduce her to his new acquaintance, Salaam, the crow. Before long, a bond of friendship was formed between the trio. A few days later, Zayrak, the rat, and Salaam, the crow, felt greater affinity towards each other. And so, one day, Salaam, the crow, asked his new friend, Zayrak, the rat, about the circumstances that led to his cordial relationship with the Blue Neck pigeon. Zayrak, the rat, answered: “I remember being very young and living with my protective parents. I was part of quintuplets, consisting of two female and three male baby rats. I was the wildest and smallest of the set in size. We live in a spacious, and outstretching underground hole. I remember never being left alone without supervision, in our dwelling; our parents rotate between tending and providing us with food. When our parents sensed that were old enough to begin the learning process of tending for our survival needs, they decided to take us out to the outside world. I remember how our parents prepared us for that upcoming experience well before hand. They have told us that we will be organized in one line headed by my father and tailed by my mother. They also told us to follow any orders coming from them and not to break away from the line under and conditions. And in case of eminent danger, we will be warned by either or both of them. And that our immediate response to the warning is to run expediently towards our residence. I remember the day we came out of our hole and inhaled a breath of fresh air for the first time in our life. I was then very excited and moved by the greenness, the trees, and the rocks in the surrounding wilderness. In fact, I could not control my emotions. I was jumping here and there and howling with my acute voice out of excitement, even though I was being warned not to do so for fear of attracting some predators. I did not know exactly how predators look like because I haven't seen one in my life, but I know that predators are bad things. ” Predators may hurt or kill us”, I have been told by my mom, though I confess that I did not know what killing is, because I haven’t been subjected to this kind of experience before. And for the first time in my life I have seen the beautiful blue sky and heard the chanting sound of birds. There were many colorful and beautiful flowers on top of some trees and green vegetation. More than once I have been tempted to break off from the line of my siblings to approach some colorful and dazzling flowers, in fact I did just that, but I was tracked down by my mother and pulled back, from the ear, to the marching line. We saw some grasshoppers jumping around and mom said, “This is food.” So we gathered and formed a circle around some of those poor tiny creatures and started the hunt. It was an exciting and easy adventure. I caught and ate two grasshoppers, but so many others have slipped away between my tender paws. And for the first time in my life I fed on what I have hunted by my own effort. Initially I felt proud of myself. Then I was overwhelmed by a sense of guilt for killing and eating those cute and helpless creatures. I even asked myself, “Why do we, like the so called predators, have to survive on those poor living beings? Why can’t we depend for our survival on eating vegetables and fruits only? My mom has already told us we can eat that kind of food as well.” After that small adventure we were led again to maintain a marching line in an ardent pursuit for food. All of a sudden, a swarm of colorful butterflies flew over our ######### and some of them landed on the colorful flowers, which covered the green vegetation and the small bushes in the area. I was taken by the spectacle of those beautiful butterflies and so were the rest of my siblings. Of course, we had never before seen butterflies. My brother Bayrak and I could not control our wild curiosity, so we ran after some of those flying creature. My father stayed with the rest of my siblings, while my mother came after my brother Bayrak and I. She was yelling on us to stop the pursuit to those illusive butterflies, but we were stubborn little creatures. I was not paying attention to the ranting voice of my mother, as well as my brother Bayrak. The pursuit of some of those butterflies took my brother Bayrak and me to two different directions. My mother was torn between us. At first she ran after me, when she failed to catch me, she ran after my brother Bayrak. It appeared that my mom had lost track of my brother Bayrak. When my mother tried again to pursue me, I had already slipped away from her sight. And even though I could hear the voice of my mom fading away gradually, I did not want to respond to it. I wanted to catch and play with some of those illusive butterflies, which at times landed abruptly on some of the scattered flowers; then they would take off once I got closer to where they were before. In the end, I lost the butterflies and my mother’s voice faded away completely. I guess I had lost my mother too. I was scared, so I began calling loudly my mother’s name and running here and there on that thick vegetation. I was a helpless creature. Then I decided to go home. But where is home? For a little while I did not know what to do. Then I decided to take one straight direction, hoping that it would lead me to our home. Unfortunately, I had a bad luck then. It turned out that the direction I had chosen was not the right one. Throughout that terrible experience, I did not stop crying and uttering aloud the word: “Mommy, Mommy, Mommy!” Luckily enough I did not encounter any predator. Nonetheless, how could I recognize a predator from a non-predator, since I haven’t seen one before? While wondering around aimlessly, I noticed the vegetation was diminishing, and the trees decreasing in number and density. Then I saw a big human habitat stretching out right before my eyes. Standing before the building was a large oak tree. At that critical moment, I felt a burning sensation of the hot weather on my tender feet. So I ran quickly towards the tree, looking for shade and shelter. I was helplessly hungry and lost. I didn’t know what to do. So I sat there under the tree while constantly repeating aloud the word: “Mommy, Mommy, Mommy!” Suddenly I heard a flickering sound over my head. A big and colorful creature, with very distinguishable features, landed next to me. I was stunned and my whole body began shaking badly. My high-pitching voice was dwindling. I thought I was facing a predator, but unexpectedly, that seemingly fearful creature spoke gently to me and said, “Don’t cry, my darling. You are on safe hands.” Encouraged by that comforting and soothing response, I answered, “I want mommy! Mommy! Mommy!” Then the kind creature responded, “So, I guess you are lost. Don’t worry. If we can not find your mommy, I will be your adopting mother since I don’t have children of my own. I am the Blue Neck pigeon, the leader of the pigeons in this areas.” Feeling safe and secured, I readily said, “I am tired and hungry. I want food, now! So, the blue neck pigeon kindly answered, “Stay where you are. I will soon bring you some food.” A few minutes later, the blue neck pigeon came back and began feeding me, with her beak, some fresh grains and crumbs of vegetables and fruits. Soon after I digger my first house under the tree. A few days later I tried repeatedly, with the genuine help of the Blue Neck pigeon, to find my direct family member, but we failed miserably. So, I contentedly accepted my new destiny and enjoyed the closeness to the Blue Neck pigeon. In addition to my principal home under the oak tree, I dug many other homes for myself in that area. The Blue Neck pigeon proved to be a very caring and kind mother. That was, dear friend, the story of my relationship with the blue neck pigeon. I am very blessed by the turn of the even that brought the Blue Neck pigeon to my rescue at that time of need. She is the center of my life. In fact, she is my whole family.”
Salaam, the crow, was fascinated with the life story of his friend, Zayrak, the rat. In the mean time, he was saddened by the fact that his friend, Zayrak, the rat, was exposing himself to danger by living near some human habitat. So salaam, the crow, said to Zayrak, the rat, “Your home is close to some human habitat, and I’m afraid that one day some wild kids will chase and throw stones at you, and it’s possible that you may be hurt or killed. I have a summer home in a prosperous and isolated area at the bend of the great sea. My friend, Nabil, the turtle, lives in the sea next to my home. If you don’t mind, I’ll take you there. I’m quite sure you will have a happy, safe, and prosperous life there. Zayrak, the rat, was pleased to hear the generous proposal of his friend, Salaam, the crow. He liked the idea of moving with his friend Salaam, the crow, since he had already escaped danger a couple of times after being pursued by some undisciplined kids. However, he has a mom, and he didn’t want to make such a decision without prior consultation with his adopting mother. So Zayrak, the rat, spelled out his concerns to his friend Salaam, the crow. By that time, the Blue Neck pigeon came home. She supported her adopted son desire to move with their friend, Salaam, the crow, to a better habitat. She promised to visit her adopted son, Zayrak, the rat, in his new habitat in the near future. Wasting no time, Salaam, the crow held his friend, Zayrak, the rat, with his beak from the tail and flew with him to that prosperous isolated place.
When Nabil, the turtle, who was taking a sunbath at the coast of the sea, saw the spectacle of a crow holding a rat from the tail and hovering over the area, she was overcome with fear and promptly slipped into the water of the sea. She obviously did not know that what she saw was her friend, Salaam, the crow. Salaam, the crow, landed safely with the rat under the tree at the bend of the sea. Then Salaam, the crow, came closer to the water, and he started to call the turtle by his name. Nabil, the turtle, recognized the voice of his friend, Salaam, the crow, came out of water and approached his friend, Salaam, the crow. The two friends then hugged and exchanged words of greetings. Then Nabil, the turtle, asked his friend, Salaam, the crow, where he came from, and who was his companion. So, Salaam, the crow, narrated to his friend, Nabil, the turtle, his encounter with the bird catcher, the pigeons, and his friend, Zayrak, the rat. Nabil, the turtle, was fascinated by the story. At that moment, Salaam, the crow, introduced his friend, Zayrak, the rat to his friend, Nabil, the turtle. So the turtle and the rat embraced one another. And Nabil, the turtle, welcomed Zayrak, the rat, and expressed his admiration for his intelligence and loyalty to his adopting mother, the blue neck pigeon. Following their friendly conversation, Zayrak, the rat, dug a home for himself under the tree. On the next few days, the three friends cherished and enjoyed their blossoming relationship. And Zayrak, the rat, found everything he was looking for, plenty of food, and a good friendly atmosphere.
The three friends arranged to meet under the tree at a fixed time every afternoon to chat and exchange the views on life. On one of those meeting, Zayrak, the rat, asked his friend, Nabil, the turtle, about the circumstances that led to his friendship with Salaam, the crow. Nabil, the turtle, answered, “This, my good friend, is a long and exciting story." I used to live with a community of turtles near the coast of a great sea, since the current of the water by the coast was calmer. There was a whirlpool at the middle of the sea. The current of the water there was very strong and ravaging. No one of our community has ever ventured to come closer to the middle of the great sea. And since there was no human habitat near the coast, we, the turtles, used to come out of the water every now and then, walk on the beach at the seacoast and enjoy a warm sunbathe during the summer time. I used to have a girl friend, Radina. We all enjoyed a happy and beautiful life in our community. So, one day the weather was good, and I felt energetic. I was very happy. I decided to entertain myself and swim leisurely closer to the coast of the great sea. I was filled with joy. Then I realize that I have drifted away from our community, but I didn’t worry that much since the area was safe, and I knew that I can find my way home whenever I chose to. After a while, I felt hungry and tired. In the meantime, I saw some seaweed growing by the coast of the sea. So I decided to swim towards the coast of the sea and enjoy a scrumptious meal of seaweed. It happened that there was a tree growing at the coast of the sea, next to the seaweed. When I came close to the seaweed, I heard some sound of falling objects on the water. I was frightened for a while. Then the sound was repeated again and again. Instinctually, I have decided to walk away from that area. Then I recognized that the falling objects were some fig fruits. So I started eating the falling fig fruits. The fruit was falling repeatedly, and I kept devouring them greedily, then I became curious when the avalanche of the falling fruit did not stop even after I reached my fill. So I pulled my head out of water and looked up. I saw an old monkey on top of that fig tree. I thought the monkey was intentionally dropping the fig fruits on the water to feed me. So I came out of the water and called the monkey to thank him. The monkey came down of the tree and introduced himself to me. He said his name is Mahir. He also said that he was pleased that his idle act has a beneficial effect on some other living beings. He then explained to me that he was once a leader of a community of monkeys, ten miles away from that fig tree. He became older and weaker. So a younger and stronger monkey, who wanted to be the leader for that community, fought and defeated him. Furthermore, he was chased away from the community. He took off. He became angry and lonely. So he walked aimlessly on the wilderness for about ten miles. Then he saw that fig tree. He climbed that tree. He was still depressed. So he began aimlessly dropping the fig fruits on the water. He noticed that the falling fruits made a ripple effect and a lovely sound on water. He enjoyed that idle act and started doing it again and again. I expressed my sympathy for that deposed leader and thanked him again for his openness and honesty. We then engaged on idle talk. I found Mahir, the monkey, very wise and funny. So I befriended him. I went home that day, but I loved the companionship of Mahir, the monkey, who assumed that fig tree as his new home. So I kept coming again and again to that fig tree. The monkey became my dearest friend. In fact, he became dearest to my heart than my girl friend, Radina. I was spending more time with my friend, Mahir, the monkey, than I was with my girl friend, Radina. So Radina became worried and complained to her closest girl friend, Badeena about me. It happened that that very friend of my girl friend has seen me swimming towards the fig tree. She stealthly followed me and found out about my friendship with Mahir, the monkey. So she told my girl friend, Radina, about the monkey. Radina became very jealous and asked her girl friend, Badeena, about the solution to her personal dilemma. So Badeena answered that Nabil would not stop the habit of visiting his friend, Mahir, the monkey, until we think of a plot to kill the monkey. Radeena asked, “What plot do you thin can work and lead to the killing of the monkey?” Badeena answered, “When your boy friend, Nabil, comes to see you next time, pretend as if you are seriously sick. If he asks about a suggested treatment to your illness, answer him by saying that the doctors have suggested my best medicine will be a monkey’s heart.” When I came that day to see my girl friend, Radina, she appeared to be seriously sick, and I saw her girl friend, Badeena, sitting next to her. So I asked, “What could be the best medicine for my girl friend’s illness?” Badeena answered, “The doctor has described a monkey’s heart as a treatment for Radina’s illness.” I answered, “How can we find any monkey’s heart if we live most of our lives in water?” I became worried for the condition of my girl friend, Radina, which seemed to be turning for the worst. And even though I cherished my friendship with Mahir, the monkey, I also have some love for my girl friend, Radina. I did not want her to die. For some time I found myself puzzled and helpless and did not know what to do. The medical condition of my girl friend, Radina, appeared to be worse and worse. She was crying loudly out of pain. I didn’t know at that time that she was just pretending to be sick. I struggled hard with my emotions. At the end, my love for my own species, personified in my own girl friend outweighed my friendly feeling towards my good friend, Mahir, the monkey. I shouldn’t have let my love and passion for my species blinded me. But I was weak and evil at that point of my life. So I decided to device a plot on my good friend, Mahir, the monkey; drawn him in water, pull his heart out of his chest and take it to my girl friend, Radina, to use it as a medicine for her illness. I was hoping that, at the end, Radina would regain her good health. After spending two days with my sick girl friend, Radina, I went back to see my good friend, Mahir, the monkey. Happy to see me again, Mahir, the monkey, asked, “You used to visit me every day. I wonder what caused you to be away from me that long?” I answered, “My good friend, Mahir, I am still grateful for you. I still feel shy before you because I haven’t paid back your favor. I’ll be very happy if you will go with me home and see my close family members and my people.” Accepting my invitation, Mahir, the monkey sat on my back, and we started swimming towards the turtles’ community. When we were half way on our trip, I felt the sense of guilt for what I was planning to do and bent my head down. So the monkey asked me, "“why do you look concerned?"” I answered, "I’m concerned because I found my girl friend, Radina, is seriously sick, and that reflects on my mood even though I want to appear happier and naturally courteous towards you.” Hence Mahir, the monkey, said to me, “I know your heart and feeling towards me. So don’t be concerned about that.” I thanked Mahir, the monkey, for his good words. Then few minutes later, I slowed down, and the monkey became suspicious, I noticed that from that tone of his voice when he asked me, “Why did you slow down? Why did you look dejected? You must have been talking to yourself.” I answered, “I was concerned again because I was afraid you would not find the status of my home the way I wanted it to be because of what has happened to my girl friend, Radina.” The monkey then answered, “Don’t be that concerned. Concerns alone will not help but try to look for the best type of medicine that can be of help for your girl friend, Radina. They say that we should spend our money on four matters: charity, to help others at time of need, on your children, and on you wife or sweetheart.” I answered, “you're right. And the doctors said the only medicine that can cure my girl friend’s disease is a heart of a monkey.” Obviously, Mahir, the monkey, was taken by surprise and might have been scared, perplexed, and realized that I was up for betraying our friendship and plotting to kill him. Mahir, the monkey, was obviously thinking of a way to rescue his life out of that terrible situation. So he said to me, “My God! Why didn’t you let me know before we left the fig tree so I could carry my heart with me. We, the species of monkeys, my good friend, have an old habit of leaving our heart at home whenever we go out to visit our friends.” So I said to my friend, Mahir, the monkey, “Where is your heart now?” The monkey answered, “I left it on top of the fig tree. If you take me there, I’ll definitely hand you my heart.”
I was naïve and uneducated, and because the monkey was such an actor, besides my deep friendly feeling toward the monkey, I was led to believe him. I said to myself, “My good friend agreed to help me before I acted my evil scheme on him and betray his friendship.” I was happy for the turn of event. So I took the monkey back to his home on top of the fig tree. When we got closer to the coast of the sea, beside the fig tree, the water became shallower, and the monkey jumped out of my back and climbed the fig tree. I waited for him to come down. When the monkey didn’t come down right away, I called him, “My good friend, bring your heart and come down. You kept me waiting.” The monkey started laughing sarcastically and answered, “On your dream! Do you think I’m a fool? Go and play your stupid trick on someone else. You idiot! I’m no friend of you any more.” That was a big wake up call for me. I realized how evil and stupid I was. I have lost a close friend forever. I even could have killed my best friend if my plan went well. I didn’t know what to do next. I was misguided and depressed. I stayed fixed at the coast of the sea next to the fig tree for a long while, trying to sift through my conflicting thoughts and emotions. I was very remorseful for the turn of events and my role on them. I couldn’t come in term with myself. Then I slowly dragged my feet and decided to go home and see how my girl friend, Radina, was doing. As soon as I turned my back towards the water, I heard a sound of something sneaking through the seaweed. I could see a turtle trying to find its way through the seaweed. I could tell from the configuration of the body of that turtle that it looked like that of Badeena, the friend of my girl friend. Then I heard a sound of something moving in water ahead of me. I was perplexed by the spectacle of that fleeing turtle. It became obvious to me that something fishy was going on here. “Why would Badeena spy on me?” I could not make head or tail for that flashing question. Anyhow, I slowly continued my swimming towards the turtle community. When I got closer to my girl friend’s home, I met Badeena at the front door. Pretending to act as normal as possible, I asked Badeena, “How is Radina doing now?
Badeena answered with what appeared to me as fake tone of voice, “She’s getting worse.” Then she added, “Did you get the doctor’s prescription?” I pretended as if I haven’t heard the question and rushed through the door to my girl friend’s bed. I found my girl friend, Radina, lying next to a small rock. She appeared frail and dejected, at least that was the impression recorded in my memory at that time. I approached my girl friend, Radina, with a cloud of frustration reigning all over my face. I then asked, “How’s your health now?” Radina ignored my question and started to moan. I was affected by her worsening condition. So I asked with a trembling voice, “Tell me what shall I do to save your life?” She then answered in between her moaning, “Did you find me a monkey’s heart?” Embarrassed and overwhelmed with grief, I couldn’t help but to say, “ I have tried but unfortunately I failed. Please tell me now if there is anything else I can do for you? I was surprised when I felt a surge of curiosity and enthusiasm in the tone of her voice. She blurted, “Tell me what happened between you and your friend, the monkey?” Obviously, that was an uncalculated mistake. I was taken by surprise to find out that she knew about my relationship with my former friend, Mahir, the monkey. I didn’t answer the question right away. My facial expression has changed. I then asked, “How did you find about my friend Mahir, the monkey?” At that moment, she stopped the moaning and did not seem sick any more. She answered with a sarcastic and evil tone, “Nothing can be hidden from me.” Just at that moment, everything began to fit in my mind. And my suspicion regarding her best friend, Badeena, was clarified. It was obvious to me now that the whole thing was conspiracy plotted by my girl friend, Radina, and her friend, Badeena. I was outraged. I couldn't believe my eyes. Obviously, the impact of the revelation proved to be too much for my psychological entity. The only thought that crossed my mind was to get rid of myself. I figured out that would be the only remedy for my conflicting emotions. So I couldn't help but to dash towards the wild whirlpool in the middle of the sea. No one in the turtle community has ever dared to go there. When I came closer to the middle of the sea, the swirling water pulled me towards the wild whirlpool. Even though my first intention was to kill myself, I instinctually hid my head under my shell, to be protected from that dangerous situation. I became like a feather blown in the wind. I was crying like a maniac. My body was swirling in an unimaginable speed. My brain could not keep up with the astronomical change of place that my body was experiencing. I have lost conscience. Suddenly I regained my conscience. I found myself swept ashore. I didn't know how much time passed by while I was lying on my back. I couldn't figure out what brought me there. However, I felt pain all over my body. The pain was so strong that I could barely move my limbs. I couldn't even reverse my body back to its natural posture. I was crying, "Help, help, help!" with my subdued voice. Then I saw a crow standing tall before my motionless body. So I repeated my plea of help again and again. That crow happened to be our mutual friend, Salaam. He used his strong beak to reverse my body to the right posture. Then Salaam, the crow, comforted me and told me that I'm on safe hands. Finally, I recalled who I was, and what led me to that tragic and helpless state. I then spontaneously found myself reflecting on the whole turn of events. After so many hours of reflection and consultation from my good friend, Salaam, the crow, I came to term with myself. I realized that I had my satisfactory share of remorse and grief. Unrealistic remorse brings damage to the soul. I can’t undo the damage I caused to my relationship with my former friend, Mahir, the monkey, for how can I regain the trust of someone I have planned to kill? As for my impulsive reaction to the turn of events concerning my former girl friend, Radina, and her friend, Badeena, I realized that I have a major character flow. Instead of confronting the problem, I chose a destructive way of running away from it. I should have been assertive and forthcoming with my former girl friend, Radina, and her friend, Badeena. In fact, I have tried to go back to our turtle community. Unfortunately, I couldn't find my way home. So I decided to stay with my new friend, Salem, the crow. I realized that the best thing I could do for myself now was to learn from those grave mistakes and move on with my life.”
While the three friends were chatting under the tree, they saw a deer running towards them. As a matter of precaution, the turtle rushed towards the water, the rat slipped into his hole, and the crow flew to his nest. Then Salaam, the crow, flew high in the sky to patrol the area and find out what drove the deer towards them. He saw nothing unusual. Nothing was pursuing the deer. He came back to his nest and called his friends, Nabil, the turtle, Zayrak, the rat, and declared the area as safe. By that time, the deer reached the tree and was greeted by the three friends. The deer was out of breath and thirsty. So the turtle told him not to worry any more for his safety, and that he can reach for water. The deer then drank to his fill and calmed down. Then Nabil, the turtle, asked the deer who he was and where he came from. The deer answered, " My name is Rami. I was roaming the area with a flock of deer looking for food. Suddenly our peace was disturbed when some hunters charged on us with their arrows. I escaped that attack but found myself separated from my companions. I wandered around looking for my companions. I saw something that resembled a man running after me. So I started running again. I'm happy now that I ended up at your habitat." So Zayrak, the rat, confronted Rami, the deer, and told him, "This is a safe area. We haven't seen any hunters around here. We welcome you as a new friend if you choose to stay with us. There is water and plenty of food around here.” So Rami, the deer, decided readily to stay with the three friends. He found everything he needed in life, plenty of food, and friendly atmosphere.
The true friends enjoyed their life in that prosperous area. They established the habit of meeting daily in the afternoons under the crow nest to chat and consult each other. One afternoon, as usual, Zayrak, the rat, Nabil, the turtle, and Salaam, the crow, met under the tree for their usual gathering. They waited there, hoping that Rami, the deer, would show up soon. When the deer did not appear, after a while, the true friends were worried that something bad might have happened to him. So Zayrak, the rat, said to Salaam, the crow, "Could you take a look and see if you can catch a glimpse of our friend, Rami, the deer?" The crow flew high in the sky. He saw Rami, the deer, caught up in a trap. The crow immediately went back to the tree and told the bad news to the rat and the turtle. Then the turtle said to the rat, "This is your time of need! Hurry up and rescue our friend, Rami, the deer!" Guided by Salaam, the crow, Zayrak, the rat, dashed toward the trap. While the rat was working hard with his teeth to tear off the net around the body of Rami, the deer, Nabil, the turtle showed up. So the deer looked at him and said, "you made a big mistake by coming here. What if the trapper arrived immediately after I was released from the trap? Obviously, I'm fast. I can safely escape the danger. And the rat has many holes in the area. You're slow. You can not outrun the trapper." So Nabil, the turtle, answered, "My curiosity and concern about you brought me here."
Soon after that, the trapper was seen running towards his net. The deer has just been released from the trap. So the deer escaped for his life. The rat entered one of his many holes in the area. When the trapper reached the site of his net, he saw that the knots, of the trap were badly torn apart. He became angry and frustrated. He looked around and saw a turtle trying to escape the area. So the trapper reached out, grabbed the turtle and wrapped him with what was left from the torn net. The rat glanced through the tip of his hole and saw what has happened to the turtle. He ran towards his two friends, Salam, the crow, and Rami, the deer, who were watching the incident from a distance. When the rat arrived there, he commented, "What an ill fortune! We overcome a predicament to be entangled on another one." Then Zayrak, the rat, proceeded, "What I recommend as a workable trick to rescue the turtle from the hand of that evil trapper is that, the deer should turn around, pretend to be limping, and fall to his side within a sight range from the trapper. And the crow should land over the body of the deer, pretending to be feeding on him. As for me, I'll situate myself closer to the trapper, hoping that the trapper will see the whole spectacle between the deer and the crow and will drop the trapped turtle and go after the falling deer. When the trapper comes within a safe distance from the falling deer, I want the deer to get up startlingly and run away while limping. As for the crow, I want him to pursue the deer. Then when the deer is within a safe distance again from the trapper, I want him to fall to the ground. When the trapper comes closer, I want the deer and the crow to repeat the same trick again and again to drag the trapper further and further from the trapped turtle. By that time, I'll have been arriving at the site of the trapped turtle, working diligently on the knots. And hopefully I'll have released the turtle from the trap before the trapper becomes frustrated by the spectacle of the deer and the crow and turns around to get the turtle. Undoubtedly, by that time the turtle and I would become out of the sight from the trapper.”
The true friends successfully worked out the plot. When the trapper became frustrated with the pursuit, he turned back and walked toward the site of the trapped turtle. When he arrived there, he found no trace of the turtle. Instead, he found the remnant of the net he put around the body of the turtle lying on the ground and was even badly torn apart. So the trapper started thinking of the whole spectacle of the entrapped deer, the tearing of his trap, the fleeing deer and the rat, his catching of the turtle, the unusual spectacle between the deer and the crow and the disappearance of the turtle. He thought he must have lost his mind. So he spoke loudly to himself and said, "This place obviously is inhabited by evil spirits. I have got to get out of here as soon as possible."
The three friends returned safely to their meeting place under the tree. Life went by smoothly for the true friends. Escorted by Salaam, the crow, the Blue Neck pigeon visited her adopted son, Zayrak, the rat at his new home. She liked the area. On her next visit, some pigeon friends accompanied the Blue Neck pigeon to the area. The whole pigeon liked the area and decided unanimously to assume it as their new home. Fortunately enough, Zayrak, the rat, discovered some rat community in that prosperous and isolated habitat. He was accepted as a new member of the rat community. Even though Rami, the deer was happy with his companionship to the crow, the turtle, and the rat, he also wanted to enjoy the closeness of individuals from his own species. So soon after, Rami, the deer was able to attract some deer friends to the area. As for Nabil, the turtle, he was also fortunate to discover a new community of turtles, half a mile away from the summer home of Salaam, the crow. Nabil, the turtle, joined the turtle community and in the meantime, he maintained his relationship with Salaam, the crow, Zayrak, the rat. The crow continued for a while to rotate between his summer home and the crow community. Then finally Salaam, the crow, drew some of his crow friends to the area. The crows, as well, assumed the area as their permanent home. The true friends maintained the habit of meeting daily under the nest of Salam,the crew. And they lived happily ever after.
"So your majesty, king Dabshalim," continued Baidaba, the philosopher, "If those lower creatures were able to overcome fatal situations by their wits and dedication to one another, humans, who are bestowed with superior brains and the ability to rationalize and distinguish between good and evils, are expected to set the example in peaceful co-existance and collabration in good causes."
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مناشدة (Re: wedzayneb)
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قمت بنشر هذه القصة المكيفة من القصة التراثية الشهيرة : " كليلة و دمنة " . و هي مكتوبة بلغة انجليزية بسيطة، اذ أن الجمهور الذي تخاطبه هو الصبيان. و انني اّمل أن يجد القارئ البالغ قيها متعة كبيرة لما تحتويه من عبرة و أسلوب ينضح بالحكمة. انني أرجو أن تحظي هذه القصة بعنايتكم و تعليقكم. تلك كانت تجربتي الأولي في الكتابة القصصية للأطفال، باللغة الانجليزية. للاحاطة الكاملة بخلفيات القصة، رجاء مطالعة موضوعي السابق تحت عنوان : كليلة و دمنة " التاريخ و المضمون. و صدقوني انني ألتمس نقدكم و أرحب به حتي لو جاء لاذعا.00000000000000000000000000000000000
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Re: مناشدة (Re: wedzayneb)
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wedzaynebالاخ...
لقد استغرقت ساعتين لتتمت القصه...اهنئك اخي على الاسلوب الشيق واللغه البسيطه...فعلا لقد استمتعت بقرائتها وبرسالة الحكمه التي تحملها.....
keep up with the good work....and thanx for give us the chance to read such a wounderful story...
with my regards
layon
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Re: " The True Friends " (Re: wedzayneb)
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Dear sister Layon,
Thank you for the nice words of compliment. Please feel free to pinpoint any shortcomings in the story. I am not a professional writer. English is not my mother tongue language. This is my first time to write a short story for children.
و حتي تلمين بالأجواء التاريخية للقصة الأصلية: " كليلة و دمنة "، فانني أدعوك لمطالعة مساهمتي بهذا المسطح السايبيري : كليلة و دمنة " التاريخ و المضمون.00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
ما أسعدنا بانضمام أخت كريمة و موهوبة من الصومال الشقيق لمنتدانا العامر هذا، بمشيئة الله. عشت ثمان سنوات نضيرات من عمري بالمملكة العربية السعودية زاملت خلالها، في غضون خمس سنوات متواليات، اخوة كرام من الصومال الشقيق. و رغم أن قلبي عامر بحب الانسانية جمعاء، الا أنني أحمل حبا خاصا لاخوتي و أخواتي بالصومال الشقيق. لا أقول ذلك مجاملة، فقد تأكد لي بالتجربة أنكم أكثر قربا لنا في المزاج، الطباع، و التقاليد من شعوب الأرض قاطبة.000000000000000000000000000000000
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wedzayneb
فيس بوك
تويتر
انستقرام
يوتيوب
بنتيريست