Jennah and the Lions

I wrote this some years back for our community newsletter as an Eid story for children.  It is loosely based on a tale, "Little Black Sambo" by Helen Bannerman that I remember from my childhood.

Jennah twirled her parasol slowly around up in the air in front of herself, admiring the whirling colors of red, blue, and yellow.  The parasol was an umbrella to protect her from the blazing sun of the African sky outside on hot summer days.  She patted her new necklace of colorful beads and looked down again upon her new shoes.  Truly this was a very special Eid and she was feeling very elegant.

“Come, Jennah.  Here are the nuts for Auntie to make her pastries for Eid today”, said her mother.  “But don’t stray off the path.  Just go straight to Auntie’s to help her bake.”

Jennah took the sack and set off sweetly, with her parasol propped on her shoulder, her new necklace, and her new shoes.  She hadn’t gone very far, however, when it occurred to her that Farida would just love to see her new things, especially her parasol.  It wasn’t very far to Farida’s.  It was almost on the way, if she took the short cut Papa sometimes took through the trees where a small part of the jungle cut in between her village and that little extra section where Farida lived.  She could hurry up there and show Farida her new Eid things and only lose a short time.  And there was lots of time to get to Auntie’s house and help her bake before guests started to arrive.

Forgetting her mother’s command to walk straight to Auntie’s, Jennah trotted off into the jungle on a rarely used path. Here the light was filtered and heavy vines grew across the path, half hiding it.  Walking slower now, Jennah was startled by a low growling sound. From out of nowhere suddenly there was a big scary lioness!

Jennah held her sack tightly and did a quick quiet du’a, “Allah, HELP!”

“Hey, little girl.  You are just in time to be my lunch,” growled the lioness.

Jennah thought fast and said, “Oh, please don’t eat me, Ma’m.  If you let me go to Auntie’s, I’ll give you my new bead necklace.  You’ll look like the queen you are.”

“Me, Queen?” asked the lioness, surprised at the idea.

“Yes, surely,” said Jennah.  Quickly Jennah removed the beads from her neck and ran and dropped them around the lioness’s neck.  Then she backed off fast and said, “How beautiful, your Highness.  See yourself in the reflection of the pool over there.”

The lioness walked over to the small pool to see her reflection, while Jennah slipped quietly away.  She hadn’t gone far, however, when she came upon another lioness.

Jennah held her sack tightly and did a quick quiet du’a, “Allah, HELP!!”

“Hey, little girl.  You are just in time to be my lunch,” growled the lioness.

Jennah thought fast and said, “Oh, please don’t eat me, Ma’m.  If you let me go to Auntie’s, I’ll give you my new shoes.  You’ll look like the queen you are.”

“Me, Queen?” asked the lioness.  “And how could I wear your shoes? I have 4 paws and you have only 2 shoes.”

“You could wear them on your ears,” suggested Jennah.

“So I could,” said the lioness thoughtfully.

Quickly Jennah removed her new shoes and ran and stuck them on the ears of the lioness.  Then she backed off fast and said, “See yourself in the reflection of the pool over there.”

She pointed toward the pool where she had left the last lioness.  The lioness slowly walked back over toward the pool to admire her reflection, while Jennah slipped quietly away in the opposite direction.  She hadn’t gone far, however, when she came upon another lioness.

Jennah held her sack tightly and did a quick quiet du’a, “Allah, HELP!!!”

“Hey, little girl.  You are just in time to be my lunch,” growled the lioness.

Jennah thought fast and said, “Oh, please don’t eat me, Ma’m.  If you let me go to Auntie’s, I’ll give you my new parasol.  You’ll look like the queen you are.”

“Me, Queen?” asked the lioness. “And how could I hold your parasol?  I need my 4 paws for walking.”

“You could tie a knot in your tail and carry it like that,” suggested Jennah.

“So I could,” said the lioness thoughtfully.

Quickly Jennah ran and tied her new parasol to the tail of the lioness.  Then she backed off fast and said, “See yourself in the reflection of the pool over there.”

She pointed toward the pool where the other lions had gone.  The lioness walked back over toward the pool to admire her reflection while Jennah slipped quietly away in the opposite direction.

With all her new presents gone, Jennah started crying.  She still carried her sack of nuts, looking for a path to Auntie’s.  Gone was her idea of going to Farida’s.  She was sorry she had ever had such an idea.  Oh, why hadn’t she listened to her mother in the first place and gone straight to Auntie’s.  Now she was lost in the jungle and all her new beautiful Eid presents were gone. 

“Oh Allah, I promise always to listen to my mother from now on.  Thank you for saving me from the lions, but please, one more help.  Which way is home?” she prayed.

Suddenly, in front of her she heard a growling and a howling and a hissing that made her shiver.  Peering out from behind a giant leaf, Jennah saw the 3 lions at the pond’s edge, arguing about which one of them looked more like a queen.  Would they come back and attack her?  Holding her breath and watching, Jennah noticed that to the right side of the pond was the path back to the village.  She waited for her chance to pass the lionesses unseen. 

The lady lions were so mad at each other that they each took off Jennah’s new things and dropped them beside the path so they could fight each other better.  They were snarling and growling and saying every bad name they could think of.  Then they started chasing each other around the pond.  They never noticed when Jennah crept around, whispering bismillah over and over quietly to herself, picked up her new things, and, slipping her shoes back onto her feet, ran quickly down the path, out of the jungle, back to the village, back to Auntie’s house, to safety once again.

And Jennah helped Auntie get lots of nut cookies made before the Eid guests arrived.  Then all of her family came over to Auntie’s house and all of the neighbors too.  And oh how nice – Farida came with her father before the evening was over and she had a new parasol too!