Team of work

    Drawings: Roua & Chahed

    English Version: Asma

   Arabic Version: NOUR

English Version

Once upon a time, Om Sissi was cleaning her house when she found a coin. She wondered to herself, "What should I do with it? What can I buy with this coin, my Lord?"

"I will buy something for my little daughter," she thought.

"If I buy an orange, no, the orange peels will dirty my clean house," she pondered.

"And if I buy a pomegranate, no, the pomegranate seeds will dirty the house that I've been tirelessly cleaning," she concluded.

Ah, she found it!

"I will buy small fish with it. They can be eaten whole, and there's nothing dirty about them. They are uncontaminated," Om Sissi decided.

Om Sissi went to the market, bought small fish, placed them in a plate, fried them, and left them in the kitchen. Then she resumed her cleaning. After a while, the neighbor's cat came to Om Sissi to borrow a knife for her owner, Um Aysha, who was preparing the meat bought by Uncle Saleh.

The cat, Qatous, said, "I'll bring it back to you as soon as Um Aysha finishes cutting the meat."

"Don't you see that I'm cleaning? Go to the kitchen and get it yourself. And don't forget to bring it back to me," replied Om Sissi.

When the cat entered the kitchen, it smelled the delicious fish and jumped towards the plate. It quickly devoured all the fish. Since it ate too fast, its stomach swelled, and it couldn't bear it anymore. It had to empty everything near the empty plate.

Afterward, the cat took the knife and left as if nothing had happened. Om Sissi's daughter, Fotouma, returned home and said, "I'm very hungry." Om Sissi replied, "Go to the kitchen. There's a delicious surprise waiting for you."

Fotouma entered the kitchen and saw the empty plate and the disgusting feces of the cat next to it. She thought her mother was mocking her and started crying loudly.

 Om Sissi rushed to the kitchen and understood everything at first glance. She became very angry and said,   

"This cat is ill-mannered! Don't cry, my daughter. I will make it regret what it did.

When the cat returned the knife, Om Sissi took it with one hand and held the cat with the other. In one swift move, she cut off its tail.

Qatous screamed in pain and started running around in circles, looking at what was left of its tail. It cried and begged Om Sissi to treat its wound.

"Oh, Om Sissi, please heal my wound. I will return your tail, and I will give you something you desire," pleaded the cat. "

Om Sissi felt sorry for Qatous and said, "You have received your punishment, and I will forgive you. But if you want me to return your tail, bring me a fish replacement from the grocer."

Qatous went to the grocer and said, "Om Sissi cut off my tail, and she asked me to bring her a fish replacement. Please, Uncle Mahmoud, give me some."

Uncle Mahmoud replied, "If you give me milk, I will give you fish. Go to the cow and ask her for milk."

Qatous hurried to the cow and said, panting, "Please, give me some milk to give to the grocer, so he can give me fish, which I will give to Om Sissi, and she will return my tail."

The cow said, "If you give me grass, I will give you milk. Go and ask the field for grass."

Qatous went to the field and said, "Please, give me some grass to give to the cow, so she can give me milk, which I will give to the grocer, and he will give me fish, which I will give to Om Sissi, and she will return my tail."