A few centuries back, before the spread of writing, an Egyptian narrator would gather people of all ages around him and tell stories while playing the rebab, a North African string instrument. Stories like “Al-Helalies' Biography,” “Al-Shater Hassan and Setal Hosni wal Gamal,” (Shater Hassan and the Beautiful Lady) and “Shafeeqa and Metwally” composed the collective memory of Egyptians. Through oral tradition, such stories were transferred from one generation to the next until they reached our contemporary times. The young writer Ahmad al-Fakharany used the same traditional genre to write his 2011 “Mamlaka men A'seer al-Toffah: Hawadeet” (A Kingdom of Apple Juice: Tales), published by Nahdet Misr. Although the 29 short tales seem to be independent, some underlying themes hold the work together. Dreams are a recurrent motif in the tales, as the blessing of being accepted and tolerated by others is bestowed on the dreamer. Ahmad al-Fateh, the recurrent male protagonist, is a man who aspires for more and overcomes hardships through the powers of dream and hope. The blue elephant that usually accompanies Fateh in his wars stands for the friend and helper, whereas beauty is symbolized in some tales by the ideal city of Mandrolla. Full of fairies and exaggerated events, Fakharany's tales remind the reader of “1001 Nights.” Also, like Scheherazade, some characters are saved by telling tales that keep the listener engaged. The subtitle of the book is “Tales,” with all that the word implies of fantasies, dreams, supernatural powers, entertainment and subtle values. But the tales also feature Egyptian characters and folkloric figures. The Egyptian oral tradition is shown in using characters like Settel Hosn, in the book's longest tale entitled “Al-Taalab Fat” (The Fox Has Passed). Settel Hosn's name means the lady of beauty; however, in Fakharany's tale she might fail the reader's expectations of the common idealized representation. Named Fatimah is a child rather than an adult and does not show the utmost kindness and love to anyone. Fakharany breaks the stereotypical idea of the pretty woman by building a new, rather vain, female character who has no mercy on her lover and is full of contradictions. The narrator of this tale makes a striking comparison between Settel Hosn and the fox: the girl's hair and the fox's tail are tied in seven knots. As the events unfold, the reader discovers that the fox's only way to untie his knots is tantamount to untying those of Settel Hosn. Fakharany not only uses Egyptian fictional characters, but also historical ones. In his “Amloko Al-Yauma Oghnia” (Today, I Have a Song), the author goes through a journey with the late Egyptian singer Sayed Mekkawi. The narrator identifies with Mekkawi as they are both blind and have the art of spinning tales and singing songs. In this particular tale, the author points out that to see is to have knowledge and comprehension. Mekkawi repeats to the narrator throughout the tale: “Tomorrow you will know and see.” This has not been attained by the end of the tale, though, implying that the search for knowledge is an ongoing process. Unlike traditional fairytale endings of success and happiness, Fakharany's works end with hope and encourage the readers to work hard for their dreams. In “Medinat al-Kobolat” (The City of Kisses), the main character is a kiss named Shawk, meaning yearning. The name suggests a sense of longing without fulfillment, the same as the feeling of the young male protagonist of the tale. Shawk is transformed into a human being who marries the king who is cured by her kiss. On the other hand, the protagonist keeps yearning for his long-lost kiss. In “Kahwa Sayeat al-Son'” (Badly-made Coffee), the aim of the male protagonist is to win the girl that he loves, something not achieved until the end of the tale. The moral lesson and the source of happiness is not the fulfillment of a wish, but rather maintaining hope. The narrator merges reality with imagination and childhood memories, creating a new world of thoughts and ideas. The character that brings the reader back to reality is Miss Iman, the author's social science teacher at school. In fact, Miss Iman is the person to whom Fakharany dedicates the book. She is the writer's source of inspiration, as he transforms her from being a schoolteacher into a princess whose heart the child narrator seeks to win in the titular tale, “A Kingdom of Apple Juice.” Miss Iman does not lose her role as a guiding figure in many tales; however, the quality of a wanted woman is added to her identity as a teacher as the stories go on. Childhood memories are depicted clearly at the end of “Atta'er al-Thahaby” (The Golden Bird), when the child narrator is replaced by an adult expressing an old disappointment. He remembers when he wanted to play video games, but did not have enough money and when the shop owner used to tell him that the video game shop is closed. “A Kingdom of Apple Juice: Tales” reflects the Fakharany's spirit and identity. He is a poet and short story writer. Fakharany also published “Fy Kalb Kol Hekayah” (In the Middle of Every Tale) in 2009 and a collection of poems titled “Dikorat” (Decorations) in 2007. The tales are a blend of childhood memories and adult wishes and experiences that will amuse adults and children alike.
