Goha the Wise Fool (review)

This collection of fifteen tales collected by Middle Eastern scholar Johnson-Davies tells of the antics and escapades of Goha, a legendary character throughout the Islamic world. Described in the endnote as "sometimes foolish, sometimes wise, and at other times a trickster who makes others the fool," Goha is entertainingly characterized in the included tales, offering a balance of hilarity and thoughtfulness. Much of the humor is at Goha's expense (as when he can't figure out why he has eleven donkeys when riding but twelve when he dismounts), but his wisdom shines through as well, as when he teaches his son a lesson about worrying too much about what others think. In fact, the brief titled sketches function precisely as they should—each short tale is carefully but simply constructed, leading naturally up to the punchline, be it funny or provocative. The tales are accompanied by photographs of hand-appliqued khiyamiyas, or tapestries, that illustrate the stories. Created by Ahmed and Fattouh, present-day artisans on the Street of Tentmakers in Cairo, these hand-sewn compositions were crafted specifically for the book. The cloth renderings of Goha have a cartoonish simplicity and solidity, but they're also expressive—the orange-faced mustachioed Goha frequently wrinkles his face in confusion or uncertainty—and the strong yet slightly shaded colors are effectively balanced throughout the compositions. The tales would function effectively as oral retellings or as discussion starters in a classroom setting (perhaps compared and contrasted to the fables of Aesop or Chelm tales), or you could simply read the entire collection aloud. Young listeners are likely to immediately recognize the universal appeal of Goha's tribulations and successes. An endnote provides details about the creation of khiyamiyas as well as a brief history of Goha stories.