Zuleika, the chief's daughter, spots visitors approaching their desert camp and is excited to hear their stories. The next day, a great Sheik named Ben Nedi will visit their tribe, which is an honor. Zuleika is sad that she has no gift to give. She cries by a well and a fairy appears, telling her she will find a gift where her tears fell. The next morning, Zuleika discovers a tall tree has grown from the bare sand. She shows her father, and when the Sheik arrives he declares the date palm tree the most precious gift, as it will help the desert tribes. The tree grows large and becomes a great friend to the tribes.

1. The Wonder Tree (an Arabian Folktale)
Far out in the desert of Arabia there lived a chief called, Ali Ben Ahmed and his tribe. Their tents
were pitched on the trackless sand where the blazing sun beat down all day. Month after month, they
sawno stranger for the paths of travelers lay far to the south.
One evening, little Zuleika, the chief’s daughter, ran to her father for she have seen someone…
someone riding their way from the south. Ali Ben Ahmed came out of his tent. He scanned the
southern horizon until… his eyes found a cloud of dustin the far distance. Zuleika danced with delight.
She loved visitors who told stories about… great stone houses, lovely green gardens, sparkling rivers,
and cool seas. Ali Ben Ahmed called his men to welcome the new comers. They bowed as the riders
pulled up his mouth. The stranger who was dignified, said that the great Sheik Ben Nedi, will visit their
tribe the next day. Ben Nedi was a great sheik and to have him as a visitor was an honor.
Every Arab in the camp busied himself in preparing gift for the coming sheik. Only little Zuleika
sat alone. Tears fell down on her dark eyes because she had no gift to give the great sheik. Her
mother tried to comfort her and told that children are not expected to give gifts. But Zuleika was not
comforted so she slipped away from the tents. She sat on the great stone near the well and wept.
Suddenly, a fairy appeared from the well. The fairy asked Zuleika to stop crying becauseshe shall have
a gift to give to the sheik, and she will find ittomorrow where her tears had fallen.
As soon as dawn broke, Zuleika hurried out into the sand and find the gift. She came to the well
and stopped in amazement. When yesterday, there had been nothing but bare sand, today there was
tall tree. Zuleika rushed back to her father’s tent and told him everything. In the afternoon, the
caravan of sheik Ben Nedi arrived. Gifts were brought and laid before him. The sheik received them
with gratitude. Ali Ben smiled and led Ben Nedi to the rock by the well where the date palm grew
from the spot on which Zuleika’s tears had fallen. “That is the most precious gift of all!.” exclaimed
Ben Nedi. Ans sureenough, the date palmspread until became the great friend of desert tribes.
The end…