The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

LEBANESE EPIPHANY TALE

FIRST, THE TALE IS TOLD OF SHARIFA AND HER BROTHERS AND SISTERS
AND HER CRUEL STEPMOTHER. MOTHER WOULD FEED THEM GRUEL AND UNAPPETIZING FOOD,
PUT THEM TO BED EARLY AND PREPARE A RICH, GOOD FOOD FOR HERSELF AND HUSBAND.
ON EPIPHANY EVENING, AFTER THE CHILDREN WERE PUT TO BED, THE CRUEL STEPMOTHER
PREPARED THE TRADITIONAL PASTRY OF EPIPHANY OR "LITTLE CHRISTMAS" CALLED DYLABIA.
SHARIFA, THE OLDEST WAS AWAKENED BY THE FRAGRANT AROMA OF THE DONUT-LIKE PASTRY,
AND CALLED OUT THAT SHE WANTED SOME, OR SHE'D WAKE UP THE OTHER CHILDREN.
THE MOTHER WAS ANGRY AND GAVE HER A LITTLE TO SILENCE HER, AND FORCED HER BACK TO BED.
AGAIN SHE CALLED AND HER MOTHER TRIED TO SILENCE HER, BUT IT WAS TOO LATE. THE OTHER CHILDREN
AWAKENED AND CLAMORED FOR DYLABIA. THE MOTHER GAVE THEM ALL SOME, BUT WAS VERY ANGRY WITH SHARIFA.
THE NEXT MORNING THE STEPMOTHER TOOK SHARIFA IN THE WOODS AND LEFT HER THERE. SHE WAS FRIGHTENED
AND SOUGHT SHELTER IN A TREE OVER A SPARKLING POND. ONE DAY A HANDSOME, YOUNG PRINCE CAME RIDING
THROUGH THE FOREST. HE SAW THE POND AND RODE OVER UNDER SHARIFA'S TREE TO WATER HIS HORSE.
WHEN THE HORSE BENT TO DRINK IT WAS FRIGHTENED BY SHARIFA'S REFLECTION IN THE POND, AND HE PULLED AWAY.
THINKING THIS STRANGE, THE PRINCE LOOKED IN THE WATER AND SAW SHARIFA WHO WAS VERY FRIGHTENED,
BUT VERY BEAUTIFUL. KINDLY, HE BESEECHED HER TO COME DOWN, BUT SHE REFUSED TO EVEN SPEAK.
THEN THE PRINCE HAD AN IDEA. HE RODE BACK TO THE PALACE AND TOLD AN OLD WISE WOMAN HIS PROBLEM
OF THE GIRL IN THE TREE. SHE TOLD HIM TO BRING HER 6 DOZEN EGGS, 2 GALLONS OF OIL AND A FRYING PAN.
THEY RETURNED TO THE FOREST AND THE OLD WOMAN BUILT A FIRE UNDER SHARIFA'S TREE AND BEGAN
PREPARING EGGS FOR DINNER. SHARIFA WATCHED AS SHE TURNED THE FRYING PAN UPSIDE DOWN,
POURED ON THE OIL AND BROKE THE EGGS, WITH THE EGGS AND OIL DRIPPING DOWN OVER THE PAN
AND INTO THE FIRE. SHARIFA WAS VERY HUNGRY. SHE CALLED DOWN FROM THE TREE TELLING THE
WOMAN TO TURN THE PAN RIGHT-SIDE-UP. THE WISE OLD WOMAN PRETENDED SHE COULDN'T HEAR HER.
FINALLY SHARIFA CLIMBED DOWN AND SHOWED THE OLD WOMAN WHAT TO DO. AT THAT MOMENT THE HANDSOME
PRINCE APPEARED. HE PROMISED TO BE GOOD TO HER AND TOOK HER AND THE OLD WOMAN BACK TO THE PALACE
WHERE THEY LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER.

Submitter comment: FOLLOWING TALE IS TOLD ON THE FEAST OF EPIPHANY
(JAN. 6) DURING THE TAKING DOWN OF THE CHRISTMAS
TREE. THE SCENE IS RE-ENACTED BY THE CHILDREN IN
THE FAMILY.
AFTER THE TALE IS ENACTED BY THE CHILDREN, THEY EAT
THE PASTRY MOTHER HAS MADE.
SHARIFA DYLABIA

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; ALLEN PARK

Date learned: CA04001970