The Clever Boy and the Terrible, Dangerous Animal

When a boy visits another village, he is amazed to find the townspeople terrified of something that—just because they have not seen it before—they mistake for a terrible, dangerous animal. With his own knowledge and by demonstration, he helps them overcome their fears.

This story is part of an oral tradition from the Middle East and Central Asia that is more than a thousand years old. In an entertaining way, it introduces children to an interesting aspect of human behavior and so enables them to recognize it in their daily lives. One of the many tales from the body Sufi literature collected by Idries Shah, the tale is presented here as part of his series of books for young readers. This is the second book in the series illustrated by Rose Mary Santiago, following the award-winning bestseller, The Farmer's Wife.

Age: 3 and up
Language: English, English-Urdu 
Number of Pages: 32
Publisher: Hoopoe Books
Author: Idries Shah (author), Rose Mary Santiago  (illustrator) 
Dimensions: 8.5 x 0.1 x 11 inches
ISBN-13: 9781942698234

KitaabWorld Book Review:  A vividly illustrated and highly entertaining tale told in bright colors and with gentle humor about a young boy who visits a neighboring village only to find the villagers cowering over a ‘dangerous animal’. The boy dispels their fears and manages to lead them to a clever solution too! A lighthearted tale about fearing that (and those) which we do not know. This tale is part of the many oral Sufi stories by Idries Shah, see the other titles here. Also available in English-Urdu.  (Lesson plan available here)

This book is also part of our FOLKTALES FROM ISLAMIC TRADITIONS book list.