Homeless Rats by Ahmed Fagih

Under the intolerable mid-day sun a troupe of Bedouins set up camp on land previously ruled by desert creatures: long-legged rats, who bury themselves in tunnels to escape the heat, snakes who lurk in the shade, wise old tortoises, wolves, and armies of ants. As the humans begin to search for food, a battle for survival begins.

While the humans and animals fight, the Bedouins also clash with a rival travelling family who set up camp nearby. Neither hunger nor marriage succeeds in uniting the two tribes, but when disaster strikes in this little patch of desert it is time for everyone –humans, rats, snakes, wolves and insects – to unite as one, under the same burning sky.

Year: 2011

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