وصف الكتاب

In one of the Palestinian villages, there lived a man and a woman alone. God had not blessed them with children. One day, the woman went down to the market and saw the cheesemaker shaping a round, white disc of cheese. She looked at it and said:

"Oh Lord, bless me with a daughter as white and round as this cheese disc. I vow to name her Jubeinah (Little Cheese)!"

The One who never sleeps and never forgets heard her prayer. Soon after, the woman became pregnant and gave birth to a daughter just as she had asked—white and round like cheese. She named her Jubeinah.

Jubeinah was so beautiful that her fame spread through all the villages. One day, a man from a nearby village wanted to get married and asked his father to make sure that Jubeinah came with them in the wedding caravan so the women of the other village could admire her beauty.

So, the groom’s father went to Jubeinah’s mother and said:
"Oh Umm Jubeinah, for the sake of Jubeinah, please let her join us in the wedding procession."
But the mother refused and told him to ask her father. So they went to her father and made the same request, but he too said:
"She’s our only daughter. Go ask her grandfather."
They asked the grandfather, and he replied:
"I have no say. Go ask her grandmother."

So finally, they went to the grandmother. She said:
"Let her go and get some fresh air."

Jubeinah’s parents prepared her for the journey and gave her a magical ring. They told her:
"If anything happens to you, just speak to the ring, and we will hear you."

They dressed her up beautifully and placed her on a horse, which was led by a servant girl known as the jealous slave girl. Because of her stunning beauty, the village girls were all jealous of Jubeinah, while the young men all dreamed of marrying her.

On the road, the slave girl stopped the caravan and said to Jubeinah:
"Get off! I’m going to wear your clothes and ride your horse!"

Jubeinah got scared and cried out to the ring:
"Mom! The slave girl wants to take my clothes and my place!"
Her mother immediately heard her through the ring and yelled:
"Hey, you slave! If you touch Jubeinah, I’ll come and twist your neck!"

The girl backed off, and the caravan continued.

Later, Jubeinah got thirsty and asked to stop by the river. While washing her hands, the ring slipped into the water. The slave girl saw it and said:
"Now’s my chance!"

She told Jubeinah to remove her clothes and get off the horse. Then she rubbed lime all over her skin to appear pale like Jubeinah and made Jubeinah cover herself in soot until her skin turned pitch black. Then she said:
"Let’s go, slave girl! You're walking, and I’m riding now!"

Jubeinah was heartbroken, but no one was there to help her. The wedding procession reached the groom's house, and the prince—who had been waiting to meet the famous Jubeinah—saw the pale girl (really the slave) and married her.

Poor Jubeinah, now disguised as a servant, was assigned to take care of the goats and sheep. She couldn’t speak the truth, afraid the slave girl would kill her.

Every morning, she would go out and herd the animals and sing:

"Oh flying birds, oh moving sun,
Greet my mother and father.
Tell them Jubeinah herds sheep and goats,
She sleeps alone in the corner."

Each day, she would bathe in the river. The ducks would see her and say:
"Quack quack, you’re only fit to marry the prince!"
Afraid the slave girl would hear the ducks and kill her, Jubeinah would silence them—by roasting and eating them. Every day, this went on until no ducks were left.

The prince grew suspicious and told his mother:
"I’m going to the river to see where all the ducks have gone."

The next morning, he went and secretly tied himself near the river. When Jubeinah arrived and began bathing, a chicken clucked:
"Cluck cluck, you’re only fit to marry the prince!"
Panicking, she killed the chicken too.

The prince had seen everything. That evening, he returned home and told his mother:
"When the slave girl brings me dinner tonight, I need to talk to her."
His mother was shocked:
"The slave girl?! Ew, why her? We have many fine servants!"
But the prince insisted.

Jubeinah came back from the fields and was told to bring dinner to the prince. She hesitated, but the prince’s mother insisted.

She knocked on his door, and he poured a bucket of water on her—washing off the soot to reveal her true beauty, white and glowing like cheese.

The prince asked her what happened. She told him everything, and when he asked,
"So I married the slave girl?"
She nodded.
"If I’m lying, kill me."

He went straight to his father and revealed the entire story. The next day, when the fake Jubeinah arrived, he poured a bucket of water on her—and she turned back into the black-skinned slave girl.

The people gasped.
"You tried to fool us!"

The prince ordered his father to gather the villagers and said:
"All those who love the prince, bring firewood to the square!"

Everyone showed up with wood, not knowing why.

Then, Jubeinah stood before the crowd and told her whole story. The people were stunned by her beauty and wept at her pain. The slave girl was tied up and thrown onto the fire—and her evil burned away.

The prince then asked his father for permission to marry the real Jubeinah. Her parents were brought, and the wedding took place with celebrations and joy.

And they lived happily ever after.

Ghina A./ Alawda Secondary School for Girls