"ليلى والذّئب": هل هي مجرّد قصّة للأطفال؟ دراسة مقارنة

Abstract

This paper aims to show the origin of the widespread children’s story “Little Red Riding Hood”, known in Arabic as “Laylā al-ḥamrāʼ” or “Laylā wal-dhiʼb”.

     Charles Perraut was the first to write this oral French village-tale in 1697 under the title “Le Petit Chaperon Rouge”. Following him this story was rewritten in different languages with minor, but very important, differences. The Arabic children’s story “Laylā al-ḥamrāʼ” is actually a translation, although not accurate nor complete, of the Brothers Grimm’s version: “Rotkäppchen”.

     Several writers, from different cultures and countries have done their own reformulation of Perraut’s version. But most Arab writers are still satisfied to keep it unchanged and within the confines of children’s stories. A prominent exception is Emily Nasrallah, a Lebanese writer, where her short story is not written for children, “Laylā wal-dhiʼb”. Nasrallah uses the known story to present her special view about gender differences, the conflict between old and new generations, and the individual’s desire to confront the severe rules of society.

     The Palestinian writer Maysūn Asadī has also written an original version in her children’s story: “Mawʽid maʽ al-dhiʼb” (A Rendezvous with the Wolf). This story can be considered as a modern adaptation, for it presents the perspective of the wolf (as a male symbol) who tries to challenge the old unfair social prejudices about him.

     This study compares six versions of the story “Little Red Riding Hood” using the method of Vladimir Propp. It shows how this apparent “simple” children’s story is actually not only for children, neither in its original oral form

nor in its subsequent developments. Actually it reflects the attitude of society, in different places and periods, towards women and the relation between genders.

     Two supplements follow the article: 1) My own translation of four versions of the story: the French, the German, the Italian and the Chinese (from English). 2) A summary of V. Propp’s enumeration of the functions of Dramatis Personae. These functions are useful in directing the mind of the interpreter in the process of analyzing the folk tale or the children’s story, but, as claimed in this paper, must not be taken too literally.