Teach Middle East Magazine Issue 2 Volume 2 Nov-Dec 2014 | Page 57

In The UAE Emirati Folklore The following stories are Emirati folklore told to children in order to get them to stay off the streets. Um Karba Wa Leef – The Menacing Palm Tree Um Karba Wa Leef is a tall, decaying palm tree that is inhabited by a djin and is believed to frighten people. It is most often found in remote places. Reading the Holy Qu’ran is believed to prevent an encounter with the fearsome palm. An unexpected meeting with Um Karba Wa Leef occurred while a man was visiting a friend’s farm. After seeing the farmer’s well-kept palm trees, he noticed an old palm f