then came to “butt” with the goat.  At the first shock, when the goat butted her with her horns, the horns of dough broke all to pieces; then the goat butted her again in her bowels and broke her in twain, and out jumped Sunaisil and Rabab, frisking and leaping and calling out “ya imme,” oh, my mother, Oh, my mother!  The Ghoul being dead they had no more fear, and lived long and happy lives with their mother the Anaziyeh.

* * * * *

Did you notice how the little boys listened to Saleh’s story of the Goats and the Ghoul?  This story is told by the mothers to their little children, all over Syria, in the tents of the Bedawin and in the houses of the citizens.  One of the women, named Noor, (i.e. Light), a sister of the bridegroom, says she will tell the children the story of the Hamam, the Butta, the Wez, and the Hamar, that is, of the Dove, the Duck, the Goose, and the Donkey, if all will sit still on the floor.  So all the little boys and girls curl their feet under them and fold their arms, and Noor begins: 

Once the Dove, the Duck, the Goose, and the Donkey joined company and agreed to live together.  Then they took counsel about their means of living, and said, how long shall we continue in such distress for our necessary food?  Come let us plough a piece of ground, and plant each one such seeds as are suited to his taste.  So they ploughed a piece of ground and sowed the seed.  The Goose planted rice, the Duck planted wheat, the Dove planted pulse, and the Donkey planted barley, and they stationed the Donkey on guard to watch the growing crop.  Now when the seeds began to grow and flourish, and the Donkey looked upon it green and bright and waving in the wind, he arose and ate it all, and then went and threw himself into a ditch near by.  Then came the Dove, the Goose, and the Duck to survey the growing crop, and lo and behold, it was all eaten up, and the ground was red and barren.  Then said they, where is the Donkey whom we set on guard over our crop?  They searched near and far, and at length they found him standing in the ditch, and they asked him where are the crops we so carefully planted and set you to watch?  Then said the Donkey, the Bedawin came with their flocks of sheep and pastured them on our crops, and when I tried to resist, they threw me into this ditch.  Then they replied, it is false, you have eaten it yourself.  He said, I did not.  They said, yes, you did, for you are sleek and fat, and the contest waxed hot between them, until at length they all agreed to make each one swear an oath “by the life of the Lake,” which was near at hand, and whoever swore the oath, and sprang into the Lake without falling, should be declared innocent.  So the Dove went down first and said: 

Ham, Ham, Ham, I am the Dove Hamam,
Ham, Ham, Ham, My food is the plain Kotan, (pulse),
Ham, Ham, Ham, If I ate the growing crop,
May I suddenly throw it up! 
May Allah tumble me into the Lake,
And none any news of me ever take!