Syrian Donkey

Protecting the Reputation of your Country – قصة الحمار الشامي

In 1898, the German Kaiser Wilhelm II and his wife, Empress Augusta Victoria, visited Damascus.

While traveling there, the Empress was impressed with a white donkey that caught her eye and she asked the governor to bring the donkey to her.

The governor summoned the owner of the donkey and asked him to give the donkey to the Empress, but the owner apologized and refused. He offered to give his horses instead of the donkey.

When the governor insisted, he said to him: “If they take the donkey to their country, people will say that the Empress did not find anything she liked in Damascus except a donkey!!!”

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ﻓﻲ ﻋﺎﻡ 1898 ﺯﺍﺭ ﺍﻻﻣﺒﺮﺍﻃﻮﺭ ﺍﻷﻟﻤﺎﻧﻲ ﻏﻠﻴﻮﻡ ﺍﻟﺜﺎﻧﻲ ﺩﻣﺸﻖ ﻓﺨﺮﺟﺖ ﺍﻟﻤﺪﻳﻨﺔ ﻋﻦ ﺑﻜﺮﺓ أﺑﻴﻬﺎ ﻭﺍﺳﺘﻘﺒﻠﺘﻪ ﺍﺳﺘﻘﺒﺎﻻً حافلاً.
ﺧﻼﻝ ﺍﻻﺳﺘقبال ﻭﻋﻨﺪ ﻣﺪﺧﻞ ﺍﻟﻘﻠﻌﺔ ﻻﺣﻈﺖ ﺍﻻﻣﺒﺮﺍﻃﻮﺭﺓ ﺯﻭﺟﺔ ﻏﻠﻴﻮﻡ ﺣﻤﺎﺭﺍً ﺃﺑﻴﻀﺎً ﺟﻤﻴﻼً ﻓﺄﺛﺎﺭ ﺍﻧﺘﺒﺎﻫﻬﺎ
ﻭﻃﻠﺒﺖ ﻣﻦ ﻭﺍلي دمشق حينها ﻣﺼﻄﻔﻰ ﻋﺎﺻﻢ ﺑﺎﺷﺎ ﺃﻥ ﻳﺄﺗﻴﻬﺎ ﺑﻪ ﻟﻜﻲ ﺗﺄﺧﺬﻩ ﻣﻌﻬﺎ ﺫﻛﺮﻯ ﺇﻟﻰ ﺑﺮﻟﻴﻦ .
ﺭﺍﺡ ﺍﻟﻮﺍﻟﻲ ﻳﺒﺤﺚ ﻋﻦ ﺻﺎﺣﺐ ﺍﻟﺤﻤﺎﺭ،
ﻭﻛﺎﻥ ﻳﺪعى ( أبو ﺍﻟﺨﻴﺮ ﺗﻠﻠﻮ )، ﻓﻄﻠﺐ ﺇﻟﻴﻪ ﺇﻫﺪﺍﺀ ﺍﻟﺤﻤﺎﺭ ﺇﻟﻰ ﺯﻭﺟﺔ ﺍﻻﻣﺒﺮﺍﻃﻮﺭ ﻓﺎﻋﺘﺬﺭ . ﻏﻀﺐ ﺍﻟﻮﺍﻟﻲ ﻭﻋﺮﺽ على أبو الخير ﺷﺮﺍﺀ ﺍﻟﺤﻤﺎﺭ ,
ﻭﻟﻜﻨﻪ ﺃﺻﺮّ ﻋﻠﻰ ﺍﻟﺮﻓﺾ ﻭﻗﺎﻝ :
” ﻳﺎ أﻓﻨﺪﻳﻨﺎ، ﻟﺪﻱ ﺳﺘﺔ ﺭﺅﻭﺱ ﻣﻦ ﺍﻟﺨﻴﻞ ﺍﻟﺠﻴﺎﺩ،
ﺇﻥ ﺷﺌﺖ ﻗﺪﻣﺘﻬﺎ ﻛﻠﻬﺎ إﻟﻰ ﺍﻻﻣﺒﺮﺍﻃﻮﺭﺓ ﻫﺪﻳﺔ دون مقابل ، ﺃﻣﺎ ﺍﻟﺤﻤﺎﺭ ﻓﻼ “
ﺍﺳﺘﻐﺮﺏ ﺍﻟﻮﺍﻟﻲ ﻫﺬﺍ ﺍﻟﺠﻮﺍﺏ ﻭﺳﺄﻟﻪ ﻋﻦ ﺍﻟﺴﺒﺐ .
ﺭﺩ ﺗﻠﻠﻮ ﻣﺒﺘﺴﻤﺎً : ” ﺳﻴﺪﻱ ﺍﺫﺍ أﺧﺪﻭﺍ ﺍﻟﺤﻤﺎﺭ إﻟﻰ ﺑﻼﺩﻫﻢ ﺳﺘﻜﺘﺐ ﺟﺮﺍﺋﺪ ﺍﻟﺪﻧﻴﺎ ﻋﻨﻪ ﻭسيسأﻝ ﺍﻟﻨﺎﺱ ﻣﻨﻴﻦ ﻫﺎﻟﺤﻤﺎﺭ ؟ ﻓﻴﺮﺩﻭﻥ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ : ” ﻣﻦ ﺍﻟﺸﺎﻡ “. ﻭﻳﺼﺒﺢ “ﺍﻟﺤﻤﺎﺭ ﺍﻟﺸﺎﻣﻲ ” ﺣﺪﻳﺚ ﻛﻞ ﺍﻟﻨﺎﺱ ،
ﻭﺭﺑﻤﺎ ﻣﻌﺮضاً ﻟﻠﺴﺨﺮﻳﺔ ,
ﻭﻳﻘﻮﻝ ﺍﻟﻨﺎﺱ ﻫﻞ ﻳﻌﻘﻞ ﺍﻥ ﺍﻣﺒﺮﺍﻃﻮﺭﺓ ﺍﻟﻤﺎﻧﻴﺎ ﻟﻢ ﺗﺠﺪ ﻓﻲ ﺩﻣﺸﻖ ﻣﺎ ﻳﻌﺠﺒﻬﺎ ﻏﻴﺮ ﺍﻟﺤﻤير ؟ ﻟﺬﻟﻚ ﻟﻦ أﻗﺪﻣﻪ ﻟﻬﺎ ﻭﻟﻦ ﺍﺑﻴﻌﻪ “
ﻧﻘﻞ ﺍﻟﻮﺍﻟﻲ ﺍﻟﺨﺒﺮ ﻟﻼﻣﺒﺮﺍﻃﻮﺭ ﻭﺍﻻﻣﺒﺮﻃﻮﺭﺓ ﻓﻀﺤﻜﺎ ﻛﺜﻴﺮﺍً , ﻭأﻋﺠﺒﺎ ﺑﺎﻟﺠﻮﺍﺏ ,
ﻭﺃﺻﺪﺭ ﺍلإﻣﺒﺮﺍﻃﻮﺭ ﺃﻣﺮﻩ ﺑﻤﻨﺢ ﺗﻠﻠﻮ ﻭﺳﺎﻣﺎً ﺭﻣﺰﻳﺎً ..
العبرة :
هناك ناس يخافون على سمعة بلادهم و اديانهم من أن تمسها الألسن بالسوء … وهناك من يبيع بلاده بما فيها بابتسامة…