THE UNINVITED GUESTS

The Uninvited Guests

 An Iranian Folk Tale

Illustrated by Judy Farman-Farmanian

Adopted by Farideh Fardjam

In a small village there lived an old woman. This old woman's little house had a yard the size of a saucer and in it there was a tree the size of a match stick.

The old woman was good-hearted and kind. Children liked her very much.

One evening, just as the sun was disappearing below the horizon and dusk entered the houses, the old woman lighted her lamp and put it on the window sill. She covered herself with her chador (a cloak that Moslem women wear) and went outside to get a breath of air, talk to her neighbors and relax.

While she was talking with some children, it started to rain—just a sprinkle at first, the pleasant smell of mud walls dampened by the rain scented the air.

The old woman sent the children on their way home and went back to her own small house. It began to pour. Thunder and lightning shook the dishes on the window sill. The old woman was cold and had just decided to spread her bedding on the floor and tuck herself in when there was a knock on the door...

Knock                    Knock                    Knock

The old woman said to herself, "Good grief! Who could it be at this time of night?" She covered herself with her chador, ran into the yard and called from behind the garden door, "Who's knocking at the door?"

"It's me, Miss Sparrow. I'm getting wet in the rain. Open the door."

The old woman opened the door and said, "Come in." Rain drops rolled off of the sparrow's beak—drip, drip, drip. She flapped her wings—flap, flap, flap.

The old woman led the sparrow to her room and put a cloth over her wet wings. The sparrow was scratching her wings with her beak when again they heard a knock at the door...

Knock                    Knock                    Knock

The old woman ran out again and asked, "Who's knocking at the door?"

"It's me, short-legged Hen. I'm getting wet in the rain. Open the door."

The old woman opened the door and said, "All right, come in." The hen's feathers were stuck together; her tired eyes expressionless. The old woman put a cloth over the hen's back. The hen moved to one side of the room and shook herself to get dry.

The old woman hadn't taken off her wet chador when, again, she heard someone knocking at the door...

Knock                    Knock                    Knock

The old woman without hesitation ran out to the garden door and asked, "Who's knocking at the door?"

"It's me, Mister Blackbird. I'm getting wet in the rain. Open the door."

The old woman opened the door and said, "All right, come in." 

The cat entered the room. When the sparrow, the hen and the blackbird saw her coming in, they huddled together and began to shiver. The cat smiled and said, "Don't be frightened, we're all guests here and we have to make the best of it." So they relaxed and began to doze off. The old woman put a cloth on the cat's back too. The cat stretched out in a corner, closed her eyes and began to wash her face and paws. The old woman went to close the door when again...

Knock                    Knock                    Knock

The old woman had her work cut out for her. She put on her chador, went out to the garden door and asked, "Who's knocking at the door?"

"It's me, Watch Dog. I'm getting wet in the rain. Open the door." 

The old woman opened the door and said, "You come in too." The dog's teeth were chattering—click, click, click. The old woman took him to her room. She tied a scarf around his neck and led him aside to lie down. The dog had just settled down to scratching behind his ear when, again, they heard knocking at the door...

Knock                    Knock                    Knock

The old woman, who knew there was another guest waiting in the rain, went to the door and asked, "Who's knocking at the door?"

"It's me, Mister Donkey. I'm getting wet in the rain. Open the door."

The old woman began to laugh, then opened the door and said, "Come in." The donkey stamped his hooves on the ground, kicked his hind legs happily into the air and jumped into the yard. 

The old woman led the donkey into the house and put a quilt on his back. And he also went to a corner and stretched out. The knocking at the door was louder than before...

Knock                    Knock                    Knock

The old woman went to the door and asked, "Who's knocking at the door?"

"It's me, Black Bull. I'm getting wet in the rain. Open the door."

The old woman opened the door and said, "All right, you come in too. The bull first lowered his horns to pass through the door, then squeezed himself into the yard. When the others saw the bull, they moved around to make room for him. The sparrow giggled at it all.

The bull coughed and knelt down in a corner. The old woman brought a blanket and covered the bull. Then she faced her guests and said, "All right, you can all sleep comfortably and tomorrow morning go back to your own chores."

The sparrow, the hen and the blackbird jumped onto the window sill and went to sleep. The cat, the dog, the donkey and the bull slept around the room. The old woman, who was tired also, pulled her quilt over herself and went to sleep.

The next morning, the woman was so tired that she woke up later than usual, but when she opened her eyes she saw that everyone was busy. The donkey lit the samovar, an urn for boiling water for tea, and put it on the tablecloth. The cat was making tea.

The dog was sweeping the yard. The blackbird was gathering wood. 

The bull was smoothing the wet roof with a stone roller, and the hen was helping him. 

The old woman was happy to see all the activity in her little house. She put on her chador, went out and bought bread, and returned to the house. They sat down around the samovar and ate bread and drank tea. They talked happily. And while the guests had their last cup of tea, the donkey said, "Last night when it was raining, we had no place to go, but now we must excuse ourselves and leave."

All of the guests, realizing how kind the old woman had been to them, were sad at the thought of leaving. The old woman said, "If you want to know what is in my heart, I wish that you could all stay here. But my yard is the size of a saucer and I don't have enough room. Even if Miss Sparrow could stay, Mr. Bull would have to leave." 

The bull began to think. He looked at the old woman and said, "I can 'moo' for you, and thrash wheat for you. Do you want me to leave?"

The old woman, realizing that she had hurt the bull's feelings, said, "Although there is little room, stay here with me."

The sparrow cleared her throat and said, "Dear old woman, I can 'tweet' for you, and lay small eggs for you. Do you want me to leave?"

The old woman smiled and said, "You don't take up much room, so stay."

The donkey shook his head and said with surprise, "Well, old woman, I can 'hee-haw' for you, and call the neighbors for you. Do you want me to leave?'

The old woman, seeing that the donkey was upset, said, "All right, you can stay."

The cat curled her tail around herself and said undecidedly, "I can 'meow' for you, and catch mice for you. Do you want me to leave?"

The old woman said, "Dear Pussy Cat, don't worry, you can stay, too."

The blackbird, seeing that everyone was staying, spoke up and said, "What's this? I can 'caw' for you, and wake people up for you. Do you want me to leave?"

The old woman said, "Mister Blackbird, don't get upset. You can stay, too."

The hen said, "I can 'cluck' for you, and lay big eggs for you. Do you want me to leave?"

The old woman said, "You can stay too."

The dog said, "I can 'woof' for you, and chase the thieves for you. Do you want me to leave?"

The old woman said, "It doesn't matter, you can stay too." She told each one, "If you choose to stay with me, you have to help each other to build shelter for yourselves so that we can all live comfortably."

They all got up from around the tablecloth, cleared the dishes and went to work. From that time on, year after year, they lived together happily every after.

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