Abu Ali Counts His Donkeys
Abu Ali bought nine donkeys at the fair. He climbed on the first donkey.
“Whr-r-r-r!” said Abu Ali. The donkey began to trot, and the other
donkeys followed.
\”Now,” said Abu Ali, “are all my donkeys here?”
He turned around and counted. “One—two—
three—four—five—six—seven—eight— EIGHT donkeys!”
Abu Ali jumped down from his donkey.
He looked behind trees, behind bushes. No donkey.
“I will count again,” he said. “One—two—
three—four—five—six—seven—eight—nine— NINE donkeys!”
Abu Ali climbed back on his donkey. “Whr-r-r-r! Soon I will be home with
my nine new donkeys.”
CLIP, CLAPPETY-CLOP. CLIP, CLAPPETY-CLOP.
“Now how many donkeys do I have?” Abu Ali counted EIGHT donkeys! He
jumped down from his donkey. He looked behind rocks, over hilltops. No
donkey. But when he turned around—NINE donkeys!
“When I get home,” said Abu Ali, “will I have nine donkeys, or will I
have eight?”
Abu Ali saw his friend Musa coming up the road. “Help me, friend Musa!”
he cried. “I keep losing a donkey. Now I have nine. But
when I climb on my donkey—like this—I have only eight donkeys!”
Musa laughed. “Eight donkeys? Nine donkeys? Why, I see TEN donkeys.”
“Ten donkeys?” said Abu Ali. “Where do you see ten donkeys?”
“I see eight donkeys following your donkey. I see the donkey you are
sitting on.” Musa could not stop laughing.
“Oh!” said Abu Ali. “I am sitting on the ninth donkey! But you said you
see ten.”
“The tenth donkey is the donkey sitting on YOUR donkey,” Musa said. “Its
name is Abu Ali!”
Abu Ali Fools His Friends
Three friends of Abu Ali told tall tales about how strong they were.
“But I am stronger than you are, Hamid,” Abu Ali said, “and I am
stronger than Musa or Nouri.”
“Show us,” said Nouri.
“Yes,” said Musa. “What can you do?”
Abu Ali said, “I can stay out in the snow all night without heat or
fire.”
Musa laughed. So did Hamid and Nouri.
“But I can!” said Abu Ali. “If I can’t, I will cook a fine dinner for
you!”
So Abu Ali went out into the snow.
“Good night,” said Hamid.
“Good luck,” said Nouri.
“Don’t freeze,” Musa said.
The snow fell. The wind blew. Soon everyone but Abu Ali was asleep. How
long the night was! How dark, and how cold!
Across the street, Abu Ali saw a candle in a window. How bright it
looked. How warm and friendly. Abu Ali watched the candle all night
long. When the sun came up, he went home to bed.
His friends came to wake him up. “Did you do it?” Musa asked.
“Of course,” said Abu Ali. “But I was happy to see a candle in the house
across the street.”
“Oh?” Hamid said. “A candle gives out heat!”
“You had heat?” said Nouri. “Then you must cook our dinner!”
“All right, I will,” said Abu Ali. And he went into his kitchen.
“If a candle gives out heat,” said Abu Ali, “then SOMEDAY this candle
will cook your dinner!”
The three friends waited … and waited. “Hurry, Ali! We are hungry,”
Musa said.
“I cannot hurry, Musa.”
Hamid, Musa, and Nouri went to see why Abu Ali could not hurry. In the
kitchen they saw a pot hanging from the ceiling. On the floor under the
pot they saw a candle.
Abu Ali Fools Himself
Abu Ali was going to Musa’s house for dinner. On the way, he stopped to
see Hamid. “Friend Hamid,” he said, “may I wear your coat today?”
“Of course,” said Hamid. “But why?” “Because,” said Abu Ali, “it has so
many pockets.”
Then Abu Ali went to Musa’s house. “Come in, Ali!” said Musa. “Sit down.
Dinner is ready!”
“Thank you, Musa,” said Abu Ali. He took some meat. “What fine meat,” he
said.
“Have some more,” said Musa.
Abu Ali took another piece of meat. He put it in his pocket.
“Why did you do that?” Musa asked.
“My coat is hungry,” Abu Ali said.
“Have some bread,” said Musa.
Abu Ali took two loaves of bread. He put one loaf in a pocket.
“Is your coat still hungry?” asked Musa.
“Oh, yes,” said Abu Ali. “This is a very hungry coat!”
Abu Ali took two bowls of rice. He took two figs, and two small cakes
with icing. One of everything went into a pocket of the coat.
“Does your coat want some water?” Musa asked.
“No, thank you,” said Abu Ali. “This coat is never thirsty.”
When it was time to leave, Abu Ali said, “Good-by, Musa. Thank you for
the fine dinner.”
“Good-by, Ali,” Musa said. “And good-by to your coat.”
Abu Ali hurried home. “I will not cook tomorrow,” he said. “My dinner is
in these pockets.” He put the coat on a hook and took a nap.
Hamid came by. “Friend Ali?” said Hamid. “I need my coat.”
But Abu Ali was asleep. Hamid took his coat. It was heavy. “What a fine
friend Ali is!” said Hamid. “I lend him my coat, and he fills my pockets
with good things for me to eat!”
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Dorothy Van Woerkom has retold other amusing folk tales. One, Alexandra
the Rock-Eater, an old Romanian tale, is about a woman who must outwit
a dragon to feed her one hundred children. You will also laugh at
another of her stories, Donkey Ysabel, which is about a donkey whose
position in the family is threatened by a new car.
X X
