63. Banyas the Storyteller.

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack In this podcast we are
joined from Gaza by teacher, storyteller and mother, Banyas Abu
Harab, who focuses on educating, comforting and inspiring young
learners in Gaza, even as the bomb blasts are audible above her
voice. This is a very different insight into the reality of the
ongoing Genocide in Gaza. Thank you, Banyas Donate to Dignity for
Palestine:https://www.patreon.com/posts/dignity-for-129326641 The
Abubaker Abed podcast is out now
here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-129356565
English Translation of the story Banyas tells in Arabic below The
Woodcutter and the Three Wishes Once upon a time, a long, long time
ago, there was a poor woodcutter. Every day, he went into the
forest to cut wood. He sold the wood to people in the village, just
so he could feed his children at the end of the day. One afternoon,
while he was chopping wood, he suddenly heard a loud, strange
noise. He stopped, looked around, and saw a big, glowing blue
light. He didn’t know what it was, and he thought maybe it was
going to rain. Then, out of nowhere, he heard a deep, scary voice:
“Ask for anything you wish—I will give you three wishes!” The
woodcutter was surprised, but he quickly made his first wish. “I
want food for my children,” he said. And just like that, a table
full of delicious food appeared! For his second wish, he said, “I
want lots of money!” The genie brought him piles of gold and coins.
For his third wish, the woodcutter said, “I want a big house for my
family.” In the blink of an eye, a beautiful, large house stood in
front of him. The woodcutter ran home happily and told his children
the whole story. But his children didn’t believe him. He took them
to the forest to show them the genie—but the genie was gone. The
woodcutter felt sad that his children didn’t see the magic. Still,
they all went back to their new home, ate the delicious food, and
were very happy. But as time passed, they spent all the money.
Soon, it was all gone, and the family became poor again. The
woodcutter went back to the forest to look for the genie and ask
for more money—but the genie was nowhere to be found. That day, the
woodcutter learned a very important lesson: Instead of asking for
money, he should have wished for a good job, something that could
help him earn and care for his family for a long time. And that’s
why we should never depend on magic or other people’s money. We
should work hard, believe in ourselves, and build our future with
our own hands. The woodcutter was kind—but he had been a little
greedy. Next time, he would make wiser choices—not just for
himself, but for his children too.