Story One
Silk on Body and Honey with Laban
The father and mother of Toro lived a peaceful and quiet rural life in one of the remote Jordanian villages. Most of the villagers do not know their real names. The father and mother are called by the name of their firstborn son. They do not have a son named Toro, but in the hope that God will bless them with a son, they will name him Toro, which is an uncommon name in the village community.
Toro’s father goes out at sunrise with two weak bulls to plow the land and cultivate it. Toro’s mother stays at home to take care of some of the sheep. In the evening, she waits for her husband to return to prepare dinner for him. He tells her about his suffering while plowing because of the old age of the two oxen. He needs a few more dinars than he has saved to buy two strong oxen.
His wife answers him to ease his suffering: Don’t worry, Toro’s father, the dinars are hidden in a safe place. When you need them, just let me know, and they will be in your hands immediately.
-I trust you, Toro’s mother, may God not deprive me of you. I am a lucky man to have a great wife like you.
One day, he arrived home at sunset, tired, hungry, and disgusted with himself. He was surprised that his wife was not at the doorstep to welcome him as usual. It’s not her habit to do that. Fear crept into his heart, for something bad might have happened to her, God forbid. He said in a low voice, “Oh God, protect us.” He hurried to the door to find it locked. He started knocking on the door and calling at the top of his voice: Where are you, He hurried to the door to find it locked. He started knocking on the door and calling with his loudest voice: Where is Toro’s mother? Open the door, I’m Toro’s father. No one answered him. He asked his neighbors about her, and everyone said they hadn’t seen her. He knocked on the door again with his fist and all his strength, shouting with his loudest voice. I am her sweetheart, I am back, my lovely wife. Again, no answer. It seems like nobody is in the house. He decided to jump over the fence and go straight to the main door of the house. This is what he did.
He was surprised to find the door open and his wife sitting in the kitchen drinking black tea with Mint.
He said in a loud, angry voice: Where have you been all this time? My hands got tired knocking on the door, my voice went hoarse, screaming and calling for you.
I heard the knocking on the door, and you’re screaming, “Toro’s mother!”
Why didn’t you open the door, Toro’s mother?
She answered while swaying with coquetry and a smile on her lips. My name is no longer Toro’s mother. Today, the name seller came, and I bought two names from him, one for me and one for you. I don’t like it at all when you call me Toro’s mother, or when I call you Toro’s father. I chose the two most beautiful names in the list. I chose a name for myself: “Silk on Body”, and a name for you: “Honey with Laban “.
Toro’s father could not believe what he was hearing. Since when are names sold and have a market? Every person is born with their name with them. For God’s sake, “Silk on Body”, and how much does the name cost?
I bought them at a special price, ” Honey with Laban “, each name for just two dinars.
Where did you get four dinars?
From the money we saved, we bought the two oxen. God will make it easy for us to buy the two strongest oxen. The world cannot contain me from the intensity of my joy; do not ruin my joy. I do not remember the last joy I experienced.
Toro’s father could not control his anger, so he shouted at her. My name will remain Toro’s father, and I will not replace it with the name “Honey with Laban “. I’m confused about what to do with you. Should I beat you up severely? But what good will that do? Should I divorce you or throw you out of the house? What else would that do? “You’ve got me in great confusion, “Silk on Body”, he said sarcastically. He looked at her askance and said: Listen, woman, I will leave you alone and not go anywhere until I return to decide your fate. I want to travel the vast lands of God, and I will not return to you unless I find a woman more stupid than you.
***
As the sun rose, Toro’s father carried his provisions on his back, hanging from the end of his stick, which was resting on his right shoulder, and began to console himself and sing popular songs from the Levantine desert. He continued his way, and at noon, he saw a group of Bedouin Tents set up next to each other. Upon approaching it, he did not see any men wandering between the tents, except for several women performing their daily household chores. He moved closer to the tents. He saw a large tent that stood out from the others. He said to himself, “It must be the chief’s tent.” He approached closer, and a man’s voice said to him: Come in, welcome our guest. This is the Sheikh’s chief’s tent. He sat in the guest’s place, and the servant poured Arabic coffee for him. Then he asked the servant about the chief. The servant told him that Chief Nofan had died more than a year ago. His son went out hunting with the men of the tribe, and they will return at sunset.
The wife of the late Chief Nofan came to welcome the guest and asked him, “Where have you come from, our blessed guest?”
Toro’s father adjusted his sitting position, stroked his beard, and answered her: I come from the dead, Chief Nofan, and I live in the same palace.
The old woman was very happy and replied: Thank God you came from him. Tell me about his life there, about his condition, his health, his livelihood, and everything related to his life.
Toro’s father looked at her with joy, as she was eager to hear news of the deceased, and said to her: Our Chief is in excellent condition, but he told me to bring him his horse, his sword, and some gold pieces. He can’t move much without a horse, and you know his generosity.
The old woman ordered the servant to prepare the horse and everything the chief asked for. The happy news spread among the women that the guest’s man was coming from the dead.
The women flocked to Toro’s father, each one asking about a husband, father, son, or brother, and he answered and mentioned their requests for money, clothing, and weapons.
He gathered a great deal of spoils and jewels and told them that he had to return to them and deliver the trusts. He rode off on horseback with his saddlebag filled with gold, escaping before the men came back.
When the tribe’s men returned and knew of the matter, they blamed their wives for this stupidity. Since when did a visitor come from the dead? A group of knights decided to catch up with the impostor, and the women pointed out the path he took to leave.
Toro’s father felt tired and decided to rest by the stream so he and the horse could drink. He heard the neighing of horses coming towards him, and in the blink of an eye, he hid the horse and its contents behind large rocks. He took off his worn-out sandals and stretched his feet in the floodwater. The horsemen approached him, and the leader of them asked him if he had ever seen someone riding a purebred horse and riding it. He answered them:
Yes, I saw him a short time ago crossing the stream from that side.
Their leader turned to his knights and said, “Come on, men, let’s catch him before he gets out of our reach.”
He approached them, and in a calm and advisory tone, he said:
Commander, I think you won’t be able to catch him on horseback. I advise you to follow him on foot. The commander replied that the horses were faster to reach him. Toro’s father was silent for a moment, then said: What you are saying, Commander, is not true at all. Every horse has four legs, while each of you has two. Imagine each horse extending its first leg, then the second, then the third, and finally, the fourth leg. Meanwhile, each of you has two feet, simply meaning that you’ll double the distance you’d take to reach him on horseback. I’ll guard your horses until you return after this impostor is caught. The knights were convinced by Toro’s father’s idea and told him that their horses would be kept in his care until their return.
He couldn’t stop himself from laughing and shouted at the top of his voice:
So far, you have succeeded, Silk on Body.
Toro’s father walked on his way with the group of horses. He saw a man plowing his land in the distance. He went to him. After greeting him, he told him that he was a horse trader and that all the horses in his possession were purebred Arabians. He approached the man and said in a loud voice:
I don’t know how you plow on these lazy mules. I swear, I feel sorry for you. You should plow your land with thoroughbred horses, and you will notice the difference in the crop. Get rid of them; mules are only good for bringing water and carrying firewood. I have visited many countries, and nowadays everyone plows only with purebred horses.
The poor man was embarrassed to hear this news and continued to plow with mules. He looked at Toro’s father and told him that he couldn’t afford the price of purebred horses.
- I’m never greedy. My only concern is helping the poor and needy people, and you seem like a kind-hearted man. I’ll accept whatever you pay.
The man felt even more embarrassed. He approached Toro’s father and said in a low voice: I don’t have the money, but I offer to marry you to my sister and her dowry, the horses I need.
Toro’s father grabbed his beard and took a deep breath: I accept this offer, but I am in a hurry. I must get married tonight. Come on, bring the witnesses.
***
Toro’s father started screaming in the middle of the night: They stole my children, helped me, people, they stole my beloved children from me.
The bride’s brother ran to him and asked him why he was screaming in the middle of the night.
Toro’s father replied to him in a loud voice: She’s your sister. She stole my children, she confessed, and she admitted by her tongue’s greatness, she said: You gave me the water of life that contains your children. This is theft, and I will never allow it.
Some of the villagers began to gather around them, out of curiosity; they wanted to know what was going on. The bride’s brother approached him and tried to calm him down. He asked him to lower his voice and keep things quiet, as they could be resolved through understanding. But Toro’s father continued his frankness and accused him of conspiring with his sister to steal his children:
This is treason, and I will not accept it. Give me back everything you traitors took, as well as the mules and the bride’s gold, so that I may cover you up, do not disgrace you, and forgive you. The bride’s brother had no other choice.
He headed towards his village, calling out: Honey with Laban is coming back to you, Silk on Body.
