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îñ"ò îøëæ ñéôåøé òí åôåì÷ìåø |
C. F. F |
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The Folktale Corner Abu-Katrina the lazy
A Jewish
folktale from In the old city of “Look, my husband, the house is empty,
there is no food, the children are hungry. Go work a little bit!” his wife
would say to him again and again. “Work?” he said,
“Death and not work! I’d rather die than work! You see this sofa? To lay down
– drink a cup of coffee and read the newspaper – this is my work!” The poor one – what could she say? You
know – in those times women could say nothing. The word of the husband was
holy, but women have always been wiser than men... One day, passing in the street she saw a
constructor building a new house with his workers. Ah, an idea came to her
mind. She went to the building foreman and asked him: “Tell me, sir, do you
need a new worker?’ “No, madam, I have enough workers.” "Well sir, this is not the point, you
see – my husband – he is so lazy. I want to educate him a little bit, I want
him to taste work once in his life. Can’t you help me?” “Well, madam, that is another story. I’ll
help you. Tell him to come here tomorrow morning.” “Oh, thank you, thank you very much, but
you see – he will never come by his own will, you must take him from home.” “Don’t worry, give me the address. I’ll
come and take him.” Well, the woman comes home: “Abu-Katrina,
at long last!” "What’s the matter?” “I found work for you.” “Work? What work?! Death and not work! I’d
rather die than work!” “No, it’s a good work – construction!” “What? Construction work? Are you crazy?
I, Abu-Katrina, will go to construction work? Never! Death and not work! I’d
rather die than work!” “But what shall we do? I made an
appointment already with the foreman. He will be here tomorrow morning to
pick you up.” “What? How dare you make such a mess!” “O.K., O.K., but we what are we going to
do now? “What we are going to do, what we are not
going to do – you see this rug – my prayer rug? I am going to roll myself in
it and stand still in the corner, and you, tell him that I’m not at home, I
went away! Do you understand me?” “Fine. No problem. Whatever you say...” So, next morning the foreman knocks at the
door: “Good morning, where is Abu-Katrina? I came to get him.” “Well, sir, I have no idea. He left the
house and he did not tell me where he is going...” And meanwhile she points
with her finger to the prayer rug at the corner. “Well, I give up, but do me a favor – I
have not said my morning prayers yet. May I use your husband’s rug?” “Well, O.K.” So he rolls out the rug: “Ah, Abu-Katrina,
are you here? Let’s go to work then. Come with me!” and he took him to work. Now, what work did he give him? He gave
him a stone to carry to the first floor. Finishing with one – he gave him
another one. And so on the whole day long. At evening Abu-Katrina comes back, tired,
hungry. Again and again he cries, he curses: “Damn! Death and not work! Death
and not work! I rather die than work!” “What’s the matter?” “A fine work you found for me! Do you know
what sort of work it is? Carrying stones all day long up and down!” “And what about money?” “Ah, he gave me five dinars.” “Five dinars? It’s good money!” “Good money, bad money – I don’t care. I
am fed up with this work. I’m not going back tomorrow!” “But the foreman – what shall I tell him?” “What shall you tell, what shall you not tell!
You see this trunk? I’m going to put myself inside, and you will close the
cover and lock it with the key, and then hide the key under the table cloth
and tell him that I left home! Do you understand me?” “Fine. No problem. What ever you say...” Next
morning the foreman arrives: “Good morning, where is Abu-Katrina? I came to
pick him up.” “How come? He did not arrive? So strange.
I was sure that he went to work. Where else could he go?” And meanwhile she
points with her finger at the trunk. “Oh,
I see. There is nothing to do, but tell me, ma’am, I have a little problem: I
was invited to a wedding and I have no white shirt. May I take one of your
husband’s shirts from this trunk?” “Of course, I would give it to you gladly,
but you see the trunk is locked!” “And where is the key?” “I’m afraid that he took it with him...”
And meanwhile she points with her finger at the table cloth. “Look, may be he left it at home. Let me
see.” And he put his hand under the cloth and took the key: “Ah, Abu-Katrina,
are you here? Let's go to work. Come with me!” and he took him to work. Now, what work did he give him? You
remember – on the first day he gave him one stone to carry to the first
floor, now he gave him two stones to the second floor. Two stones to the
second floor! What shall I tell you – this time he worked like never he did
before – up, down! Up, down! Each time with two stones, non stop, all day
long. Abu-Katrina comes home, tired, half dead.
He curses, he cries: “Death and not work! and not work! I’d rather die than
work! What do you think I am? I’m not going to continue like this! “O.K. as you wish,
but tell me my dear how much did you get this time?” “Ah, he gave me ten dinars.” “Ten dinars? Excellent! He doubled your salary!
You are not a simple worker; you are an outstanding worker...” “Outstanding worker, simple worker – I
don’t care. I am fed up with this work. I am finished with it once and for
all!” “But the foreman – what shall I tell him?” “What you shall tell, what you shall not
tell! You know what?” “What?” "I’m going to lie down here covered
with a shroud, and you will tell him that I’m dead! Let him think that I’m
not in this world any more! let him think I’m dead! Do you understand me?” “Fine. No problem. What ever you say...” So, next morning the foreman comes, knocks
at the door: “Where is Abu-Katrina?” "Oh, the poor man! My husband is
dead! My dear husband is dead!...” But the same time she signs with her head
and her finger: no, no. “Oh, I’m so sorry to hear this bad news!
But this is the will of Allah, what we can say? This is the way of the world:
The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord!
At least we will do for him the last honors – we will bury him according to
custom. I’m going to arrange everything. I’ll bring the coffin.” The foreman went to bring the coffin and
the woman says: “Abu-Katrina, what are you going to do now?” “Death and not work! I’d rather die than
work!” “For heaven sake, do you really want to
die?” “You know what? I don’t care. This world
is awful! Women, constructors, foremen – I’m fed up with all this. In next
world I can rest, do nothing, just eat and drink the delightful food of
heaven, have all these beautiful women that the Prophet Mohammed promised to
his believers...” “As you wish.” Now, you know, in our hot country dead are
buried immediately, on the same day. Ten minutes later the foreman comes back
with his workers. They put him in the coffin, they take him to the cemetery –
perhaps you know, near Jerusalem there is a big cemetery, the cemetery of
Mount Olives – they dig a grave and put him there, but they leave him a
little pipe of air, like this, so he can breath a little and not really
die... At “What?? He says, “Here they work also? And
for free? For no money? Never! It’s better to work in this world for money
than work there for free!” And he jumped from his grave and rushed
home. What shall I tell you? He began to work and he turned out to be a good
worker, he made a good sum of money, he became a rich man. Last week I came to visit him - he made me
a great meal in my honor - good wine, fine food. And then he brought three
sacks, three sacks of gold! One for me, one for Yoel and one... for the
teller of this story! _________________ This is one
of my favorite stories – the flagship of my repertoire. I heard it from the
late storyteller, Mrs. Flora Kohen. Flora was a talented traditional
storyteller. As a child in |
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