|| A folktale from Palestine ||
One day Johha borrowed a large tanjera, or copper saucepan, from a neighbor. Next day he returned it along with a small, new saucepan.
“What is this?” asked the surprised owner.
“Your tanjera gave birth to a young one during the night,” replied Johha. The owner thought the guy is being ridiculous but accepted the tanjera. He thought, “Why not, I’m getting a new pot”. He wondered if his neighbour has gone mad.
After few days, Johha borrowed another large pot, almost like a cauldron.
This he did not return, but carried it off to another town, where he sold it.
When its owner asked to reclaim it, he said that the utensil had unfortunately died and been devoured by hyenas.
“What!” exclaimed the owner angrily. “Do you think me fool enough to believe that?”
“Well, my friend,” was the reply, “You believed that the Tanjera could give birth. Why, then, should you not believe that your dist, which is simply a grown-up tanjera, should die?”
The owner had no comeback. He searched and searched through Johha’s house, but the cauldron could not be found. In the end he just gave up and went back to his house.
Like (0)