Folk Tales

Choices Arab Folk Tale: The Camel                 https://sites.google.com/site/valueslessons  

A camel and his owner were travelling across the desert sand dunes when a wind storm came up. The traveller quickly set up his tiny tent and climbed in, closing the flaps to protect himself from the cutting, grinding sands of the raging storm. The camel was, of course, left outside.  As the wind hurled the sand against his body, stinging his face, he found it unbearable.  Finally he begged for entrance into the tent.

   "Sorry, but there's room only for me," said the traveller.

   "But could I just get my nose in so I can breathe air that's not filled with sand?" asked the camel.

   "Well, perhaps you could do that," replied the traveller. He opened the flap ever so little and the long nose of the camel entered. How comfortable the camel was now! But soon the camel became weary of the stinging sand on his eyes and ears.

   "The wind-driven sand is like sandpaper on my head. Could I put just my head in?"

   Again, the traveller figured that to agree would do him no damage, for the camel's head could occupy the space at the top of the tent which he wasn't using. So the camel put his head inside and was satisfied again, but not for long.

   "Just my front legs?" he begged, and again the traveller relented and soon the camel's front shoulders and legs were in the tent. Finally, by the camel pleading and his master giving in, the camel's body, his back legs and tail all were in the tent. But now it was too crowded for the two, and the camel kicked the traveller out into the wind and storm.

Serious problems creep into our lives as we give in to little temptations. People almost never get into big trouble without first making small bad choices, which become bad habits, which can take over our lives and make us miserable.  Someone once said, 'An honest man doesn't suddenly become dishonest any more than a tidy garden suddenly becomes weedy.  It happens by making one bad choice at a time.'

Discussion Questions

1. There's an old saying that goes, 'That's the thin edge of the wedge'.  What does it mean?  (Tell how a small wedge is used to break a big log in half by making a small gap wider and wider, just one blow of a hammer at a time.)

2. How does that saying relate to this story?

3. How does a person start on the road to becoming an alcoholic? Did they want to?

4. How does a teenager get addicted to drugs?  Do they mean to?

5. What does this story teach us about making choices?

Optional Colouring In: A picture of a camel is found at: https://coloringpage1989.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/camel-coloring-page-3.jpg

Choose with Care Cherokee Folktale: The Two Wolves