SLEEPING WITH SCORPIONS
In this chapter, Sheikh Mohammed details his experiences of living in the desert and how he mastered hunting with falcons and hounds. He recalls how he used to wake up after being stung by desert scorpions.
Iwas seven or eight years old when my father started to take me to a Sheikh from Al Manaseer tribe in the desert to teach me hunting. His name was Hamid bin Ahmi. My father used to leave me with Hamid for days. And I learnt how to hunt with falcons and hounds.
After spending the whole day training, we used to gather around the fire for dinner and intriguing talks. From these outings, I have unforgettable memories filled with beauty, passion and pain — yes, pain.
Nothing can be compared to a warm bed in the cold desert at night, but many times I woke up in pain after being stung by scorpions. Probably they were looking for warmth, too.
Hamid used to take me close to the fire and put ashes on the areas I was stung to reduce the pain. Strangely, I was the only one in the group who got stung. There were probably two reasons for this: Firstly, I never checked my bed before sleeping; and secondly, because Hamid used to collect 10 to 12 small scorpions and put them in my bed on purpose! He wanted to make me immune to the deadly desert scorpions’ poison. Till date, I am immune to it. Not everything that hurts is evil, sometimes it holds goodness and protection.
Desert scorpions are better than human scorpions. Desert scorpions search for warmth and would leave your bed by the morning.
May Allah bless you, Hamid!
Hamid used to collect 10 to 12 small scorpions and put them in my bed on purpose! ”