The Dry Date

The Dry Date

Collected by Khalidah Abdulla Al-Mamari

Edited by Patty Paine
Illustrated by Khloud

Once upon a time, three brothers went to their farm, and while they were there, one of them picked up a dry date from under a palm tree, and he ate the date. Unfortunately, the date got stuck in his throat. His brothers ran to their neighbor’s house and asked her for some butter to help their brother swallow the date. The woman told the brothers that she needed cream to make the butter. When they found a cow to get the cream from, they discovered that there was a dog guarding the cow. They told the dog that they needed cream to save their brother, and the dog replied that he would let them have the cream if they brought him camel meat. They went to the meat seller and told him they needed meat to save their brother. The meat seller told them that he needed a knife from the blacksmith to cut the meat. The brothers went to the blacksmith and told them that they needed a knife to save their brother. The blacksmith replied that he was too hungry to make a knife but if they brought him eggs to eat he would be able to make a knife. They went to a chicken and asked for eggs to save their brother, and the chicken told them that she needed seeds. The brothers went to a farmer and told them they needed seeds to save their brother. The farmer told them that he needed palm fronds to separate the seeds. The brothers asked a palm tree for its fronds to save their brother. The palm tree gave them its fronds, and they gave the fronds to the farmer who used it to separate the seeds. The farmer gave them the seeds which they gave to the chicken in exchange for her eggs. They took the eggs to the blacksmith who gave them a knife. They gave the knife to the meat seller who gave them some meat. They gave the meet to the dog who allowed them to get cream from the cow. They took the cream to their neighbor who made butter. They took the butter to their brother, but their brother was dead.