MacDonald, Margaret Read. The Storyteller’s Sourcebook: A Subject, Title, and Motif Index to Folklore Collections for Children. 1st ed. Detroit: Gale Research, 1982.
MacDonald, Margaret Read, and Brian W. Sturm. The Storyteller’s Sourcebook: A Subject, Title, and Motif Index to Folklore Collections for Children: 1983–1999. Detroit: Gale Research, 2000.
Paine, Patty, Jesse Ulmer, and Michael Hersud, eds. The Donkey Lady and Other Tales of the Arabian Gulf. Collected and translated by Khamam Al Ghanem and Dr. Sara Al-Mohannadi. Berkshire, U.K.: Berkshire Academic Press, Limited, 2013, 17–36.
Pimm-Smith, Alan. “From Ar’abic to Eng’lish,” Saudi Aramco World, March/April 2007, 36–38.
Rayess, Faud. “The Cream of Wisdom,” Saudi Aramco World, January/February 1969, 22–25.
Reynolds, Dwight Fletcher. Arab Folklore: A Handbook. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2007.
SCT Magazine. Salalah College of Technology, English Language Center, Salalah, Oman (April 2013).
Thompson, Stith. Motif-Index of Folk-Literature. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1966.
Tracy, William. “A Talk with Violet Dickson,” Saudi Aramco World. November/December 1972, 13–19.
INDEX
Abdullah Salim Al-Hammer family, color inset
Abu al-Qasim al-Zamakshari, 81
Abu Bakr Alasdeek xvii; Abu Bakr hides with Prophet, 21
Abu Dhabi, xvii
Abu Nawas, eats leopard’s insides, 47; kills sheep, tricks women, 47
“Abu Nawas, the Trickster,” 47–48
Abu’l-Ghusn Dujain bin Thabit, 33
Abyssinian, 74
‘Ad, King of, 27
Aden, xix
Advice of father, 68
Aesop. See Nésop
African descendant loves princess, 40–42
Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Maidani, 81
Ajman, xviii
Al Ali family, xviii
Al Bu Falasah clan, xvii
Al Jazeera television, xii
Al Nuami family, xviii
Al Sharqi family, xviii
Al Thani family, xix
Al-Fujairah, xviii
Al-Hajjaj, 37
Al-Khor, Qatar, 65
Allah, riddles about, 18–19
Al-Nahyan family, xvii
Al-Qalis, 74
Al-Qasimi family, xviii
Al-Sabah family, xii, xiv
Anderson, Kiera, 49
“The Annoying Dove,” 14–15
“The Ant and the Louse,” 4
Ant hits louse with spoon, 4
Ant in box saves rice, 57
Ants seen on ceiling, xx
Arabian Gulf, 65
Arabian Nights, 75
Arabian Peninsula, history, ix
Arabic words, 87–88
Aslam, servant of ‘Umar Ibn Al-Khattab, 22
“Aziz, Son of His Maternal Uncle,” 29–30
Bab el Mandeb Strait, xix
Badawi, 27–28, 43
Badu, 43
Baghdad, 40, riddle challenge, 18–19
Bahrain, ix, xi, xiii, 29–31, 40
Baluchistan, xv
Bani Yas Bedouin, xvii
Banu Tamin tribe, xix
Barren woman choses knowledge over childbearing, 73
Bath, singing in, 35
Beard compared to broom, 38
Bedouin, xvii, 1, 49, 82
Bedouin family, color inset
Benazin Bedouin tribe, 1
Bible, x, 71
Bidouns, xiv
“The Biggest Lie,” 62
Bilquis, Queen, 72. See also Sheba, Queen
Bird tells wife tales to warn, 75–80
Birds stone enemies of Mecca, 74
“The Black Pearl and the White Pearl,” 40–42
Boat of eggshell, 24
Boy answers riddles, 18–19
Braid cut as mark, 30
Bride, fake doll, 58
Brides sail off with heroine, 75
Brother, chosen over husband and son, 37
Bubul birds, color inset
Buckthorns picked, 16
Burj Khalifa, xi
Burp, woman burps, 25–26
Caliph cooks for hungry children, 22
Camel, emerges from rock as sign, 54–55; follows rope pulled by crab, 82; sweat used for coffee, 29; weeps, 54
Camels, x; photo, 54; information, 55; captured, 74; color inset
Camping in Kuwait, color inset
“The Cat Country,” 25–26
Cat, woman afraid will tell about her burp, 25–26
Cave, Prophet hides in, 21
“Choices,” 37
Chocolates from England trick sahar, 61
Christian temple, 74
Cinderella, 63, 70
Citizenship, xi
Coffee made from camel sweat, 29
Cooking food for hungry children, 22
Counting days of Ramadan, 36
Counting donkeys, 7
Cow Surah chanted, 53
“A Crab Has Drowned a Camel,” 82–83
Crab pulls camel rope into sea, 82
Crow, why is black, 1–2
Crystal palace built for queen, 72
Cumulative tale, ant and louse, 4
Cut in leg as mark, 30
Dam breaks, 73
Dancing to thwart thief, 8–9
Daud, King, 20
David, King. See Daud, King
Dead, fool believes self dead, 52
Death, end of cumulative tale, 4; house without, 30
Deemer, Margie, color inset, b & w inset
Dhofar, Oman, 50
Dickson, H.R.P., 40, 43, 45, 46
Dickson, Violet, 42
Dilmun civilization, ix, xiii
Dividing, fox learns from wolf’s mistake, 3
“A Djinn Story,” 49
“The Djinn Outside the Window,” 53
Djinn, exorcised by mullah, 53; land of, 49; man wed to, 49. See also Genie
Dog, helpful spurned 38–39; of poor man killed, 43; sinks eggshell boat, 24
Doha, xi
Doja, Qatar, color inset
Donkey, carries treasure home, 46; lost, 50; fool believes will die if donkey farts 52; who should ride, 51; counting, 7
“The Dove, the Partridge, and the Crow,” 1–2
Dove, swallowed, keeps singing, 14–15; why has pink feet, 1–2
Drum party, 63
Dubai, xi, xvii
Eagle carries man, 27
Eggshell boat, 24
Egyptians, x
Elephant, white, kneels to Ka’ba, 74
El-Shamy, Hasan, 38
Empty Quarter, 47, 49. See also Rub al-Khali
Enemies flee each other, 59
Ethiopia, 74
Faheel, Kuwait, color inset
“The Fake Bride,” 58
Falcon life span for Luqman, xx
Fazara tribe, 33
Fear of stranger, 59
Fish, aids girl, 70; provides clothing for party, 63; enormous lie, 62
“The Fisherman’s Daughter,” 70
Fishing boats photo, xiii, b & w inset, color inset
Five pillars of Islam, xii
Flame tree, color inset
Fool. See Jouha
Foolish imitation, 10–13, 23, 25–26
Fox, as judge 45–46; gives lion bigger share, 3
“The Fox, the Wolf, and the Lion,” 3
Frankincense, x, xix
Fsaijrah goes to party, 63
Genie substitutes daughter for bride, 58
Ghafiri tribe, 59
Ghoul threatens, 16–17
Girl in guise of man weds princess, 79
Girl, poor marries prince, 38–39
Gold mouse droppings, 23
Goldfinch tells wife tales to warn, 75
Grief, house without, 30
Gulf War, xiii
Hadith xx, 81
Hadramat, xix
Hajj, xi, xii, xvi, xv
ii
Haram, xvii
“The Hattáb (Woodcutter) and the Khaznah (Treasure), 46
Heart, most valuable and least, xix
“The Helpful Dog,” 38–39
“The Helpful Fish,” 63
Hen refuses to say “Insha’allah,” 67
Herodotus, x
Hijaz, xvi
Hinawi tribe, 59
Hoopoe bird tells of Saba, 72
“Hunan’s Slippers,” 82
Hurth tribe, 59
Ibrahim, Prophet, xvii
Isa, Prophet (Jesus), xvii
Islam, xii; required for citizenship, xi
Ismael, xvii
Jabal an Nabi Shu-ayb, xix
Jaed, girl wearing, 16
Jebel, color inset
Jeddah, xi
Jewelry left for Abu Nawas, 47
Jinn brings throne, 72
“The Jinn Builds a Road,” 60
Joseph, JonLee, 47, 49, 114, color inset
Jouha, 7, 33–36, 51
“Jouha and His Donkeys,” 7
“Jouha Loses His Donkey,” 50
Judge dances, 8–9
Judgement, kill man who killed dog, 43–44; shepherd to till land, farmer to guard sheep, 20
Ka’ba, xi, xii, xvi, xvii, attacked, 74
Khoja Nasruddin al-Rumi, 33
“Kill the Man Who Killed the Dog,” 43–44
“The King, the Prince, and the Naughty Sheep,” 20
Knowledge chosen over childbearing, 73
Koran, xvii, 54, 72, 81
Kuwait, xiii, 27, 33–46
Kuwait children’s program, color inset
Kuwait city photos, xii
Kuwaiti scenes, b & w inset
Kuwaiti tenting, xiv, xv, color inset
Kuwaiti villa, color inset
Language of animals understood by Suleiman, 20
Lateen sail, origin, 65
Leopard has water inside body, 47
Lie, biggest, 62
Line, drawn, crossed, 49
Lion eats wolf, fox learns to divide, 3
Liwa oasis, xvii
“The Lost City of Ubar,” 27–28
Louse complains that ant hit, 4
Love has eye poked out by Madness, 56
Love most important, 64
“Luqman the Wise,” xix–xx
MacDonald, Margaret Read, 113; photo, color inset
Madness pokes out eye of Love, 56
“Makki and Khakki,” 23
Maktoum family, xvii
Man disguised as woman, 30
“The Manly Maid,” 75–80
“The Mighty Dyke of Ma-rib,” 73
Ma-rib dyke, 73
Massan, Mahbrook, x, 47, 49
Mecca, xi, xii, xvi, 21; attacked, 74
Mice covering eyes bad sign, 73
“The Mighty Dyke of Ma-rib,” 73
Minaret, photo 35; singing from, 35
“The Miracle of the Spider’s Web,” 21
Mohammad, Prophet, xvii, xii, 74; saved by spider web, 21
Molukia soup, 14–15
Mount Sawda, xv
Mountains. See Jebel
“The Mouse and the Eggshell Boat,” 24
Mouse, poops gold, 23; takes all onto eggshell boat, 24
Mullah exorcises djinn, 53
Muscat, Oman, xi, 59, 60, 62
Myrrh, xix
Najd, xvi
Nero, x
“Nésop and the Snake,” 45–46
Octopus threatens pearl diver, 41
Oil, xi, xvii
Old man forces woman to carry, 10–13
Oman, ix, xv, 47–62, 82. See also Muscat
Omar Ibn Alkattab, xvii
Omrah, xi
“Origin of the Dhow’s Lateen Sail,” 65
Palm Jumeirah, xi
Palm trees, color inset
Pan big enough for enormous fish, lie, 62
Partridge, why has black ringed eyes, 1–2
Pearl diver loves princess, 40–42
Pearl fishers, xiv, 42, 65
Perfume entices prince to marry, 58
Pigeon, Kuwait, color inset
Pilgrimages, xi
“The Poor Lady’s Plan,” 8–9
Princess swallows singing dove, 14–15; fake, 58; as man, 75–80
Proverbs, 81–82
Pumpkin, bought for daughters, 10–13
Qaboos bin Said al Said, Sultan, xv; palace, color inset
Qatar, xviii, 63–65; museum, color inset. See also Doha
“Queen Bilquis Visits King Suyleiman,” 72
“The Queen of Sheba Visits King Solomon,” 71
Questions answered, 34
Quraysh tribe, 74; tribe seek to harm Prophet, 21
Ramadan, xii, 36
Ras al-Khaimah, xviii
Red Sea, xix
Relative helps, stranger does not, 68–69
Rhyme, ant and louse, 4
Rice saved by trapped ant, 57
Riddle, 85–86; posed to Solomon, 72; stories, 5–6
Riyadh, xvi
Road contract with Djinn, 60
Roman challenges with riddles, 18–10
Rub al-Khai, ix, xix, xv, xvi, xvii, 27–28
Saba, ix, xix, 71; land of Queen Sheba, 72
Sabbaen people, 73
“The Sad Story of the Mother Camel,” 54
Sahar tricked by woman, 61
Sail, origin of, 65
Sailors, obey heroine, 75; Omani, x
Salalah, Oman, x, xii, 52, 53, color inset
Salman bin Abdulaziz al Saud, xvi
San-a, Yemen, 74
Saud, house of, xvi
Saudi Arabia, xi, xv; tales from, 1–22
“The Seven Buckthorn Pickers,” 16–17
“The Shaikh’s Sheep,” 68–69
Sharjah International Book Fair, xii
Sharjah, xviii
Sheba, Queen, ix, xix, 71. See also Bilquis
Sheep, killed by Abu Nawas, 47–48; of poor man taken, 43; talk about shepherd, 20
Shepherd, photo, 44
Shisr, x, 47
Sidra tree, 16
Sign language, 5–6
“Signs,” 5–6
Sinbad, x
Singing song, 14–15
Singing tale, 8–9
Skull, talking, 27–28
Slipper, on road, dupe returns for first, 82
Snake, warmed threatens, 45–46
Solomon, 27–28. See also Suleiman
Somali crew of ship 75
Son and father, who should ride, 51
Spider web saves Prophet Mohammed, 21
Spring, origin, 31
“The Springs of Bahrain,” 31
Stars become springs, 31
Stones used to count, 36
Stones, poison dropped on enemies of Mecca, 74
Strait of Hormuz, xv, xviii
“Strangers on the Road,” 59
Success, less important than Love, 64
Suleiman, 20; and thrifty ant, 57. See also Solomon
Sultan’s palace, color inset
Sur, Oman, 60
Surat al Baqarah, 53
Swallowed dove keeps singing, 14–15
Sweat used for coffee, 29; answer to riddle, 72
Taibah, Nadia Jameel, 113; tales shared by, 1–22
Tanzania, 40
Tenting in Kuwait, photos, xiv, xv, color inset
Theft to prove point, 68–69
Thief caught by dancing, 8–9
Thieves kill each other, 46
“The Thrifty Ant,” 57
“Throw Your Pumpkin and Pick Me Up,” 10–13
Tongue, most valuable and least, xix
Traveling great distance test, 61
Treasure brought home by donkey, 46
Tree, branch cut, fool falls 52; thought to bear jewelry, 48
“Tricking the Sahar,” 61
Trickster. See Abu Nawas; Jouha
Turkey, 33
Turtle
upturned bad sign, 73
Ubar, 27–28, 47. See also Wubar
“Umar Ibn Al-Khattab Cooks Food for Hungry Children,” 22
Umm al-Quwain, xviii
Umrah. See Omrah
United Arab Emirates, xvii, 67–70, 82, 85–86
‘Utaiba tribe, 43
Water, birds sent to find, 1–2; from neither heaven nor earth, 72
Watering trough of poor man broken, 43
Wealth, less important than Love, 64
“Wealth, Success, and Love,” 64
Web covers cave protecting Prophet Mohammed, 21
“When Jouha’s Donkey Passes Gas,” 52
“Who Should Ride the Donkey?,” 51
“Why Love is Blind,” 56
“Why the Hen Cannot Fly,” 67
Wife tells secret, 68
Wisdom, chosen as gift, xix; of Solomon, 71. See also knowledge
“A Wise Young Boy,” 18–19
Wise man makes signs, fool interprets, 5–6
Wolf eaten by lion, 3
Woman dances to thwart thief, 8–9
Woman forced to carry old man, 10–13
Woman surpasses others with sail shape, 65
Women, Kuwaiti, b & w inset
Woodcutter believes God will provide, 46
Worm threads jewel, 72
Wubar, 49. See also Ubar
“The Year of the White Elephant,” 74
Yemen, ix, xix, 71–80
Youngest daughter mistreated, 16–17
Zanzibar, x, xv
Zarifa, Queen, 73
About the Authors
Margaret Read MacDonald, a folklore Ph.D. and former children’s librarian, has worked with storytellers from Argentina, Brazil, Cuba, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand to create folktale collections for the Libraries Unlimited World Folktales series. While working on this collection from the Arabian Peninsula, she was fortunate to make several visits to the area, telling stories and traveling in Abu-Dhabi, Bahrain, Dubai, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. Her Arabic counting book How Many Donkeys?, coauthored with Nadia Jameel Taibah, won the 2010 Sharjah International Book Fair Award for Best English Language Children’s Book dealing with an Arabic topic.
Nadia Jameel Taibah is an assistant professor at King Abdul-Aziz University in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. She received her doctorate in special education, learning disabilities, from the University of Washington. Her interests in helping children to be literate and include reading stories as part of their lives led her to become specialized in reading and specifically diagnosing children with reading disabilities. She is involved in many national projects to develop and standardize assessment tools for reading and reading-related skills. She was raised hearing some of these stories from her family, especially her mother, Zain, and aunt Salha.
Folktales from the Arabian Peninsula Page 14