Once upon a time, in a certain tribe, there was a woman who lived with her husband. They were poor and had no children, but the woman remained patient and never lost hope in God’s decree. One day, her neighbor came to her and told her about a magical herb that grew in a nearby forest. She said that if the woman ate it, God would bless her with a child.
The woman was overjoyed. She went into the forest searching for the herb and wandered for a long time until she finally found it exactly as it had been described to her. She picked it and placed it in her bundle. On her way back, she saw a shining copper pitcher. She admired it and took it with her. While she was walking, she suddenly slipped and fell. At that very moment, thunder roared and rain began to fall, and from the copper pitcher emerged a terrifying Ghoula. The woman was frightened and quickly hid behind a tree.
The Ghoula approached her and said, “Do not be afraid. I will not harm you, even though you took the herb from my tree”.
The woman replied, “I swear I did not know it belonged to you. If I had known, I would never have approached it.”
The Ghoula said, “It is okay. You may take the herb, but on one condition: if you give birth to a daughter, she will belong to me; if you give birth to a son, he will belong to you”. The woman agreed, because she deeply longed for a child. The Ghoula then took a green herb, rubbed it gently, and marked one of her teeth. Then she said, “Go now, and may God grant you happiness”.
The woman returned home, performed her ablutions and prayers, and thanked God. She then cooked the herb in the copper pitcher she had found in the forest. Nine months later, God blessed her with a beautiful baby girl. Her eyes shone like the stars of the night, and her hair was long and thick. She named her Lounja.
The woman was overjoyed, but she lived in constant fear of the day the Ghoula would come to take her daughter, because she had never forgotten their agreement. As Lounja grew, she became extraordinarily beautiful, and everyone who saw her admired her. Her hair grew so long that when she slept, she covered herself completely with it.
One day, Lounja went with her friends to a valley to swim. Before she left, her mother warned her: “Do not speak to strangers, and do not laugh with them”. When they arrived at the valley and began swimming, the Ghoula suddenly appeared. She gathered their clothes and said, “Whoever laughs among you will get her clothes back”. One by one, the girls began to laugh, took their clothes, and left, until only Lounja remained.
Lounja tried not to laugh, but the Ghoula kept provoking her until she eventually laughed. As soon as she did, the Ghoula noticed the green mark on her tooth and realized that she was the girl she had been waiting for. The Ghoula seized Lounja and carried her deep into the forest.
Lounja’s mother wept bitterly and waited for her daughter to return, but the Ghoula had already taken her far away. The Ghoula told Lounja not to be afraid and ordered her to follow her. She led her across mountain after mountain until they crossed seven mountains and reached the seventh, the Black Mountain, where the Ghoula’s house stood.
Lounja lived there with the Ghoula. She served her and kept her company. At times, the Ghoula showed her kindness, hunting gazelles for her and bringing her food. Whenever the Ghoula returned home, she would call out, “Lounja, O Lounja…” and Lounja would let down her long hair so the Ghoula could climb up and enter the house.
Meanwhile, Prince Zahr lived in his palace with his parents. He was loved by everyone, and the people eagerly awaited his marriage. However, his uncle envied him and wished to take the throne for himself. He went to an evil witch and made a deal with her: she would help him get rid of the prince, and in return, he would help her gain power.
The witch then went to Prince Zahr and told him about a beautiful maiden named Lounja, who was imprisoned by a Ghoula and waiting for someone to rescue her. At first, the prince did not believe her. But he went to consult a wise man, who confirmed that the story was true.
The wise man warned him, “On your journey, you will encounter a magical rock that opens and closes at great speed. If you do not time your passage carefully, it will kill you”.
The prince set out on his journey and faced many hardships and dangers until he finally reached the magical rock. After great effort, he managed to pass through it safely. He then arrived at the Ghoula’s house and called out to Lounja.
Lounja welcomed him and quickly hid him inside a large chest before the Ghoula returned. When the Ghoula came back, she sensed that a human being was in the house, but she could not find anyone.
She began calling each object in the house, one after another, commanding it to come before her. Finally, she called the chest, but it did not move, because the prince was hidden inside. Surprised, the Ghoula asked, “Why does the chest not come?”
Lounja replied, “It has become old and too heavy.”
Lounja waited for the Ghoula until she became tired and eventually fell asleep. When she slept, her voice transformed into a song. Once Lounja was certain that she was deeply asleep, she opened the chest, released the prince, and together they escaped. They mounted the Ghoula’s horse and fled.
The moon accompanied them on their journey. Lounja kept asking, “O Moon, has the Ghoula awakened?” and the moon would answer, “No, she is still asleep”. This continued until the moon finally told her that the Ghoula had awakened and was now chasing them.
They fled until they reached the magical rock once again. The prince and Lounja managed to cross it safely, but the Ghoula could not.
In the end, Prince Zahr returned to his palace. The witch died of rage and bitterness, and all the uncle’s schemes failed completely. Three days later, Prince Zahr married Lounja. The entire tribe rejoiced at the celebration, and they lived together in happiness and peace forever after.