In this post, we will continue the folk tale of الطِّيرْ الأخْضَر The Green Bird. What do you تَتَذَكَّر remember from part one? If you’re interested in this story and haven’t read the first part, go ahead and jump to last week’s post. 😊

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رأتْها الأُخت فصارَت تَبكي، ولمّت عِظام أخيها وهي حزينة عليه. ثُم دَفَنَت العِظام في حُفرة في الحَديقة، وأصبَحَت كُل يَوم تَسقي العِظام بِدموعها

مَضَت سَبْعَةُ أيّام على هذهِ الحال، وفي اليومِ السَّابِع، خَرَجَ مِن الحُفرة طَير أخضَر صَغير، ليسَ في الطيورِ طيرٌ في مِثْلِ جَماله. دارَ بالحديقة مِن شَجَرَة لِشَجَرة، وصارَ يُغني أغنية حَزينة، وحَطَّ أخيراً على شُباك غُرفة أختِهِ وصارَ يُغَني

أنا الطَّير الأخضر، أبوي دابَحاني وخالتي إكّالة لحامي، أختي الحنونة لَملَمَت عِظامي وحَطتَهُم بكيس خامي، بعد سبعِ أيام صِرت طيرأطير بالبُلداني

سَمعتهَ أخته وعَرَفت أنه أخوها فَقَرَبت مِنهُ، وصارت تلمّس ريشاته، ودموعها تَنْزِل غَزيرة مِن عيونِها مِثل المَطَر مِن حُزْنِها عليه، طارَ بعيد عنها وعادَ معهُ قِلادة مِن ذَهَب، فَلَبِستها وازدادَت جَمالاً. رأت زوجة الأب بعينيها ما حَدَث للبِنت، فحَسَدتها وطمَعَت بِقِلادة مِثلِها

في اليوم التالي، وقَفَ الطيرُ على الشُّباك وصارَ يُغني أغنيتهُ، أتَت زوجة الأب وصارت تلمّس ريشاته، فطارَ بعيداً فَفَرِحَت زوجة الأب لِظَنِها بأنهُ ذَهَبَ ليُحضِرَ لها قِلادة مِن الذَّهب. إلا أن الطيرَ الأخضرَ عادَ ومعهُ إبرة مَسمومة ألقاها عليها فأنغَرَسَت في رَقْبَتِها فَماتَت على الفَور. أما الطيرُ الأخضرُ، فأستمرَ على الغِناء لأختهِ كُلَّ يَوم على حافَّةِ الشُّباك وعلى رَميَ الهَدايا إليها وهي فَرحانة بهِ

The girl saw her and began to cry and sadly gathered her brother’s bones and buried them in a hole in the garden. She watered the bones every morning with her tears.

Seven days past like this and on the seventh day, a small green bird emerged from the hole. There was no bird as beautiful as he. He flew around the garden and jumped from tree branch to tree branch. He began singing a sad song. Finally, he settled at his sister’s window and began singing:

“I’m the green bird, my father killed me, my stepmother devoured me, my sister berried and mourned me, after seven days, a green bird I rose, to fly around the world.”

His sister heard him and knew it was her brother. She approached him and stroked his feathers as she cried heavy tears of sadness like rain. The bird then flew far away and returned with a golden necklace. Once she wore it, she became more beautiful. The stepmother saw with her own eyes what had happened to the girl. She envied her and wanted a necklace just like it.

The next day, the bird sat at the window and began singing his song. The stepmother approached him and began stroking his feathers. He then flew off. The stepmother was happy thinking he was going to return with a golden necklace. Yet, the bird returned with a poisonous needle that he dropped on her neck. She died instantly. As for the green bird, he continued to sing for his sister everyday at the edge of the window bringing her gifts. The girl was very happy.

I hope you enjoyed this Palestinian folk tale.

ما هو المغزى من القصة؟    What is the moral of the story?

Do you have a similar story in your culture?

Until next week, happy Arabic learning! 😊