World Lit. Wonder Tree (3)

7/29/2019 World Lit. Wonder Tree (3)

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MAP OF SAUDI ARABIA


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LITERARY DEVELOPMENT OF SAUDI ARABIA

Pre-Islamic literatureThe structure of the Arabic language is well-suited to harmonious

word-patterns, with elaborate rhymes and rhythms. The earliest

known literature emerged in northern Arabia around 500 AD and

took the form of poetry which was recited aloud, memorised andhanded down from one generation to another. It began to be

written down towards the end of the seventh century. The most

celebrated poems of the pre-Islamic period were known as the

mu'allaqat ("the suspended"), reputedly because they were

considered sufficiently outstanding to be hung on the walls of the

ka'ba in Makkah.


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The typical poem of this period is the qasidah (ode), which

normally consists of 70-80 pairs of half-lines. Traditionally, they

describe the nomadic life, opening with a lament at an abandonedcamp for a lost love. The second part praises the poet's horse or

camel and describes a journey, with the hardships it entails. The

third section contains the main theme of the poem, often extolling

the poet's tribe and villifying its enemies.Classical Arabic prose

The birth of Arabic prose as a literary form is attributed to the

Persian secretarial class who served under the Abbasid caliphs

(750-1256) in Baghdad. Ibn al-Muqaffa' (died 757) was a convertto Islam who translated classical Persian works into Arabic. He

became famous as the author ofKalila and Dimna, a series of

didactic fables in which two jackals offer moral and practical

advice.


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Arabic poetry

A large proportion of Arabic literature before the 20th century isin the form of poetry, and even prose from this period is either

filled with snippets of poetry or is in the form ofsajor rhymed

prose. The themes of the poetry range from high-flown hymns of

praise to bitter personal attacks and from religious and mystical

ideas to poems on sex and wine. An important feature of the

poetry which would be applied to all of the literature was the idea

that it must be pleasing to the ear. The poetry and much of the

prose was written with the design that it would be spoken aloud

and great care was taken to make all writing as mellifluous aspossible.


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SETTINGS: Arabian desert, Tents of Ali Ben Ahmed and other

Arabs, Near the well

Characters :

Ali Ben- a great leader of his tribe. The one who welcomed the

the great sheik with hospitality.

Zuleika- a wonderful kid, daughter of Ali Ben and the reason why

there was a wonder tree.

Sheik Ben Nedi- A great leader of the other tribe. The visitor of Ali

Ben.

The Fairy- a kind fairy who helped Zuleika in her problem on what

to give the Sheik.


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THE WONDER TREE

Far out in the desert of Arabia lived a chief called Ali Ben Ahmed and his tribe.

There tents were pitched on the trackless sand where the blazing sun beatdown all day. Month after month, they saw no stranger for the paths of the

travelers lay far to the south.

One evening, however, little Zuleika, the chiefs daughter, ran to her father for

she have seen someone riding their way from the south.

Ali Ben Ahmed came out of his tent and stood beside his beautiful little

daughter. The chief scanned the southern horizon until his eyes found a little

yellow cloud of dust in the far distance.


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Zuleika danced with delight. She loved visitors who told stories of the wonders

which her eyes had never seen. They had talked of cities with great stone

houses, of lovely green gardens, of sparkling rivers, and cool blue seas. To the

little girl who had lived all her life in the desert, these stories were marvelous

fairy tales.

Ali Ben Ahmed called his men to welcome the new comer for the desert Arabs

are very hospitable. They bowed their turbaned heads almost to the ground to

a low salaam as the rider pulled up his sweating mount.


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The stranger, who was proud and dignified, returned the salute and said that the

great sheik Ben Nedi will visit their tribe the next day.

The whole camp bustled with excitement, Ben Nedi was a very great sheik

indeed, known far and wife for his power and goodness, and to have him visit

the remote tents of Ali Ben Ahmed was an honor. Every Arab in the camp busiedhumself in preparing a gift for the coming sheik for ity is an Arabian custom to

gicve gifts of welcome and hospitality.

Only little Zuleika sat alone and idle. Tears stood in her lovely dark eyes because

she had no gift to give the great man who would come the next day.

Her mother, busy in the womens tent unrolling a beautiful peace of silk that

would be her gift the next day, tried to comfort the child and told her that

children are not expected to give gifts.

But Zuleika was not comforted. She slipped away from the tents and sat on a

great stone near the well and wept.


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Suddenly, out of the well appeared a misty white figure which took the shape

of a beautiful veiled woman. Her smile was sweet and when she spoke; her

voice was like the soft ripple of running water. Zuleika, looking at her in

amazement, knew that she could be no other than the good fairy of the well.

The fairy asked Zuleika to stop crying because she shall have a gift to give to the

sheik and Zuleika will find it the next day where her tears have fallen upon the

sand.


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Then the shining figure faded away, meltinginto the misty light like a pale moonbeam.

Zuleika ran back to her tent, but she could

sleep little that night. As soon as dawn broke,

she hurried out into the sand to find the gift

which she was to give that day.

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World Lit. Wonder Tree (3)