Série: -
Autor: Nadia Jameel Taibah
Data de Leitura: 07/05/2026 ⮞ 17/07/2026
Classificação: ⭐⭐⭐
Sinopse
A unique compilation of stories, "Folktales from the Arabian Peninsula" includes tales from seven countries: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.
Coauthored by a renowned folklorist and a professor of education who recalls some of these poignant tales from her own childhood, the book opens with a discussion of the Arabian Peninsula that introduces each country and discusses its terrain, peoples, and current situation to provide important background information. The engaging stories that follow will serve elementary, junior high, and high school librarians as well as public librarians, professional storytellers, and folklorists. The tales themselves--many of which have never been published in English language children's collections--are appropriate for readers grades five and up.
Minha review no GoodReads
Resolvi fazer um combo nesta volta ao mundo e, em vez de andar de país em país, aproveitei para juntar vários países da Península Arábica numa única leitura.
Arábia Saudita – leitura nº 102
Omã – leitura nº 103
Emirados Árabes Unidos – leitura nº 104
Iémen – leitura nº 105
A Península Arábica é composta por sete países, além de incluir partes da Jordânia e do Iraque, que não vou considerar para este desafio. Alguns destes países já tiveram o seu momento neste projecto de leitura, por isso deixo aqui as leituras já efectuadas:
Catar – leituras 44 e 99
Bahrein – leitura 62
Kuwait – leitura 96
Embora os contos não tenham sido particularmente marcantes, foi interessante conhecer um pouco do património oral da Península Arábica. É sempre enriquecedor descobrir histórias tradicionais de outras culturas e perceber as semelhanças e diferenças em relação aos contos que já conhecemos.
Entre os vários contos, encontrei duas versões da Cinderela, adaptadas à tradição oral da Península Arábica.
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FOLKTALES FROM QATAR
THE HELPFUL FISH
This is a Cinderella tale from Qatar.
One day, Fsaijrah’s stepmother told her, “Take these fish to the seashore and clean them there. Bring them back, and we will cook them for our dinner.”
Fsaijrah cut up all of the fish except one small one, but when she lifted her knife to cut that one, it spoke to her.
“Please don’t cut me up. Let me go, and I will make you rich.”
“Oh, I can’t let you go. My stepmother would be angry with me.” But she did let the fish slip out of her hands, and it dove into the sea.
When she went back home, her stepmother wanted to see the fish she had cleaned.
“Show me the fish.”
“One got away while I was cleaning the others.”
So the stepmother made her do without lunch and supper as a punishment.
When the family had finished eating, her stepmother sent her to the sea to throw away the bones. At the seashore, the little fish was waiting for her. He had prepared a beautiful food tray for her, with fish and Qatari clarified butter—the most delicious butter in the world.
A few days later, there was a drums party. The stepmother dressed her own daughter in beautiful clothes and took her to the party. But to Fsaijrah, she said, “There is plenty of work for you here. You stay home.”
But as soon as they had gone, the little fish appeared. He brought her a beautiful dress and diamond slippers, and sent her off to the party.
No one recognized the beautifully gowned girl as Fsaijrah, and she hurried home before the others could return. So they had no idea she had been at the drum party.
But she was in such a hurry to reach home that one of her slippers fell off and dropped into a well. She had to return without it.
The next day, the shaikh and his friends passed by the well, and he noticed the glittering shoe. He declared, “Whoever this shoe fits, I will marry.”
When the shoe was brought to Fsaijrah’s home, the stepmother’s daughter tried it on. But the shoe did not fit. But when Fsaijrah put the shoe on, of course it fit perfectly.
So Fsaijrah was engaged to be married to the shaikh.
Her stepmother said, “For her dowry, we want radish, pickled fish, and dates.” When they were delivered, the stepmother and her daughter said to Fsaijrah, “Now eat them.”
The little fish arrived and dressed her in the most beautiful dress of all, gave her jewelry, and put pearls and red coral on her stomach, which she brought out in the bridal chamber.
As for the daughter of her stepmother, luck was not her ally.
FOLKTALES FROM THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
THE FISHERMAN’S DAUGHTER
There once was a fisherman’s daughter who was being looked after by a cruel stepmother who had two daughters of her own. Of course, those daughters got all the good food and nicest clothes and did no work at all. The fisherman’s daughter had to do all the work for the household and was dressed only in the oldest of rags.
One day, the stepmother sent the girl to clean five fish. She took them down to the seashore and was cutting the fish up, when the last fish, which was still alive, started trembling and begged the girl, “Please don’t cut me up. Put me back in the water so that I may live. If you do that, I will come to help you when you need me. Just look for me here beside this rock.”
So the girl felt pity on the fish and tossed it back into the sea.
But when she reached home, her stepmother was furious. “I sent you to clean FIVE fish. You return with only FOUR. No supper for YOU tonight.”
The girl went back down to the sea, weeping, and sat beside the rock where she had tossed back the fish. Soon the fish itself came up. When he heard of her troubles, he brought up to her the most delicious foods imaginable, and she ate until she was full.
A few weeks later there was to be a wedding at the shaikh’s palace. Everyone was invited to attend the celebration. Of course, the fisherman’s daughter had to stay home and clean and cook and was not allowed to go to the wedding. But when she told her friend the fish about this, he came up with all sorts of beautiful clothes and jewels, and even a pair of golden slippers. And the fish gave her a piece of advice.
“When you enter the palace, be sure to pass by the barza where the shaikh’s son is resting. I would like for him to lay eyes on you.”
This is exactly what she did, and when the shaikh’s son saw her, he fell in love immediately. The shaikh’s son hurried out and followed the girl. But seeing herself pursued, she ran off home. However, her golden slippers dropped off just as she passed the water trough where the shaikh’s horses watered. When the shaikh’s son came back, after giving up on chasing her, he found those golden slippers.
The next day, the shaikh sent his servants to visit all the homes in the area where daughters could be found. They tried the slippers on every girl, but none of them were a fit. When they came to the fisherman’s house, the stepmother hid the girl in a tannur and had her own daughters brought out to try on the slippers. Of course, they did not fit.
“Is there no other girl in this house?” asked the shaikh’s men.
“None at all,” lied the stepmother.
But just then the cock started crowing, “My ugly aunts are on the bed, and my beautiful aunt is in the oven!” The cock just kept on crowing this and would not stop.
So the shaikh’s men searched the entire house, and there in the oven, they found the beautiful fisherman’s daughter. The slippers fit her perfectly.
So the fisherman’s daughter was taken to the shaikh’s son, and he was so happy that he married her immediately. And they lived in much happiness.