The Men and the Oxen

For the #RamadanReadathon at Twitter, I want to highlight some story collections that people might enjoy reading, featuring free full-text books online; here are all the books I've featured so far, including a 100-word story for each one too.

So, today's book is The Folklore of Palestine by Barbara M. Bowen. See details below, and here is a story from that collection:

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The Men and the Oxen

Mohammed walked by a field where men were plowing in winter. "Peace to you," he said. The men did not answer, but the oxen answered, "And peace to you." Mohammed blessed the oxen. "May Allah make your nights long!" That is why in winter, nights are long, and the oxen can sleep.
In summer, Mohammed passed the same field where men were planting. "Peace to you," he said. No one answered. Mohammed cursed the men. "May Allah make your days long!" That is why in summer, days are long, and the men must work hard with little time to sleep.

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You can find a longer version of that story, and many other stories besides, in the online book, which is available at Hathi Trust.