[Scene: A quiet afternoon in Riyadh. Fahad and Nasser are sitting on the porch, sipping Arabic coffee. The sun is blazing, and it’s just past noon.]
Fahad: (squinting at the sun)
Wallah, Nasser, I told my nephew not to go out now. It’s almost 1 PM! You know what they say—this is when Humar Al-Qaylah roams. That donkey will twist your face if it sees you outside!
Nasser: (laughs and nearly spills his coffee)
Ya Fahad! Not again with the donkey tale! We’re in 2025, not 1525! It’s just hot, not haunted!
Fahad:
Don’t laugh! My uncle swears he saw a kid once who didn’t listen, went out at noon, and came back looking… different. They say his eyes went cross-eyed and he started talking to walls.
Nasser:
Maybe the poor kid had heatstroke! Or too much sun and no water—classic dehydration symptoms. You don’t need a mythological donkey to explain that.
Fahad:
But why does every elder say the same thing? My grandma used to warn us, “Al-Qaylah time is when the spirits walk, especially that donkey!” It must come from somewhere real.
Nasser:
It comes from a real place, I agree. But not from a donkey demon. Think about it—before air conditioners, walking in that blazing sun could literally make people faint or hallucinate. What’s the best way to scare kids into staying indoors and napping? Tell them there’s a magical donkey with a grudge!
Fahad: (raising an eyebrow)
So you think it’s just a bedtime lie that became a legend?
Nasser:
Exactly! Like the boogeyman. Or that old story your cousin told me—what was it? “Don’t whistle at night or the jinn will answer!”
Fahad:
Hey, that one’s true! I whistled once at midnight and my cat ran away for two days.
Nasser: (laughing)
That’s not a jinn, ya habibi. That’s just your cat being a diva.
Fahad:
But don’t you ever think there might be some truth hidden in the tales? Maybe the donkey isn’t literal. Maybe it represents something—like madness from the sun?
Nasser:
Now that I can accept. You’re getting philosophical! Maybe “Humar Al-Qaylah” is just a metaphor for the dangers of the midday heat.
Fahad:
Hmm. So I’m half right?
Nasser:
Let’s call it a draw. You bring the stories, I’ll bring the science. Together, we keep the kids safe and entertained.
Fahad: (smirking)
Fair enough. But if a donkey knocks on your door at noon tomorrow, don’t come running to me.
Nasser:
If a donkey knocks on my door, I’ll offer it a cold drink and ask it to explain its myth.
[Both laugh, clinking their tiny coffee cups.]
Fahad:
Alright, Mr. Scientist. Next time, we debate the jinn in the date palm trees.
Nasser:
Deal. But only after sunset. I don’t want your cat disappearing again.
[Fade out as they continue to banter, the sun dipping behind the rooftops.]
Science Vs Superstition 
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