Once upon a time, in ancient times, there was a little girl who lived with her mother in a small village at the foot of a mountain. The girl helped her mother with daily chores, and one day, her mother asked her to go to the nearby forest to collect some firewood.

The girl carried her basket and walked among the trees, gathering dry wood and branches while singing happily. But suddenly, she heard a strange sound behind her. When she turned around, she saw a tall, strange-looking woman with one eye, disheveled hair, and long sharp teeth. It was the ghoul!

The ghoul spoke in a terrifying voice:
???? "Where are you going, little girl?"

The girl replied in a trembling voice:
???? "I am collecting firewood for my mother."

The ghoul smiled cunningly and said:
???? "Come with me to my house; I have plenty of firewood and delicious food!"

The girl was clever, but she was also scared. She thought quickly and said to the ghoul:
???? "Okay, but I need to mark my way so I don’t get lost when I return."

As she walked behind the ghoul, the girl dropped small pieces of cloth along the path so she could remember her way back.

The girl arrived at the ghoul’s house, which was dark and large, filled with bones and leftover food. The ghoul laughed and said:
???? "Wait here, I will prepare you a delicious meal!"

But the girl realized that the ghoul intended to eat her, so she came up with a clever idea. When the ghoul returned carrying a large pot, the girl said:
???? "Before you eat me, I want to show you how I jump like a bird!"

The ghoul was curious and asked:
???? "How do you do that?"

The girl replied:
???? "Tie your feet with a rope so you don’t run away, and I will show you!"

The ghoul agreed and tied her feet. Quickly, the girl jumped and pushed her into the big pot filled with hot water, which the ghoul had been preparing for the girl!

The ghoul let out a loud scream, but after a few moments, she disappeared forever. The girl hurried out of the house and followed the marks she had left on the road until she safely reached her village.

When the mother saw her daughter, she was overjoyed and hugged her tightly. From that day on, the girl became famous in her village for her intelligence and bravery, and everyone told her story to future generations so that children would no longer fear the ghoul but instead learn how to outsmart her with wit and cleverness.

Malk S. / Alwada Secondary School for Girls