Om al Manakhel

Om al Manakhel

Collected by: Aisha Al-Ali

Edited by: Patty Paine

Illustrator: Reem

Once upon a time, there was a girl named Morjana who lived with her stepmother. The stepmother spoiled her own daughter, but she made Morjana work like a maid.

One day, an old woman named Om Almanakhel visited Morjana’s stepmother. She needed someone to help her so the stepmother sent Morjana. While walking to the old women’s house Morjana met a woman on the road. She asked the woman for directions to the house of Om Almanakhel. The woman guided Morjana to the house, and advised her that no matter what Om Almanakhel asked her to do Morjana should do the exact opposite.

Morjana arrived at the house, and the old lady asked Morjana to destroy the kitchen. Morjana went into the kitchen and cleaned it and then made the old women lunch. Then the old woman commanded Morjana to make the courtyard filthy. Morjana went into the courtyard and cleaned it. Then the old woman told Morjana to bring all the village trash into the house, so Morjana took all the trash in the house outside. The woman then asked Morjana to mess up her hair, so Morjana washed and braided the old woman’s hair. At the end of the day, the old woman thanked Morjana and she gave her an old bowl and a dog.

When Morjana arrived home her stepmother laughed at her gifts.

In the morning they discovered that the dog has transformed into a handsome prince, and the old bowl was overflowing with gold, pearls, and jewels. The stepmother decided that she would send her daughter to help the old woman so she would get gifts, too.

The stepdaughter set out for the house, and with every step she shouted “Where is Om Al Manakher’s house?” and “I demand that someone tell me where that old woman lives!” Finally, a woman met her on the road and guided her to the house. She told the girl that no matter what the old woman told her to do, the girl should do the exact opposite.

The old woman told the girl to break the kitchen. The girl went into the kitchen and broke everything. The old woman asked the girl to make the courtyard filthy, so the girl went into the courtyard and threw trash everywhere. When the old women told her to mess up her hair, the girl did exactly that. The old woman asked to the girl to go home and she gave her a dog and an old bowl. The girl happily returned home.

In the morning the stepmother rushed into the girl’s room to find the prince and jewels. When she entered the room she discovered that the bowl was empty and the dog had eaten her daughter!