Friday, March 11
MYTH
The Arabs derived the word ustura, myth, from the Latin istoria, history. It was the most intelligent thing they did.
History was a dog tied to a tree. Passers-by felt sorry for its freedom, whose saliva seeped out from the corners of its mouth. They muttered a few words and moved on. Others came near and stroked its back, but their intentions started barking and they took off in fright. Then there were others who kicked it like a stumbling block, but it licked their feet and they tasted sweet. All it was thinking was how it could become the tree, and tie the passers-by to its trunk.
(Asmaa Azaizeh,
translated from Arabic by Yasmine Seale)