The novel opens with an unnamed narrator who begins to tell a bedtime story to two children, Abdullah and Pari. The narrator recounts the sad tale of a farmer named Baba Ayub, who lived in the fictional village of Maidan Sabz. Although the man was quite poor and had to work very hard to feed his large family, he loved his wife and children dearly, especially his youngest son, Qais. Baba Ayub was content with his simple lifestyle but, when an evil monster known as the div visits his village, his fortunes suddenly take a turn for the worse. The div eats anyone who looks at it and, because of this, the villagers fix their eyes on the ground, in fear of becoming the monster’s next meal. The div marches through the village and inspects the houses. …show more content…
If not, the div will not hesitate to devour the entire family. One night, the div knocks on Baba Ayub’s door. Baba Ayub and his wife are horrified but, nevertheless, they select one of their children at random. In the end, Qais is given to the div and the two depart from the village. Several years later, Baba Ayub, unable to forget about this incident, decides to go on a journey to find the div and kill it as revenge for taking his precious son. Baba Ayub is successful in his search, but he is surprised to learn that the div did not actually harm Qais. In fact, the so-called monster has provided the boy with a wonderful home, a good education, and many friends close to his age. Baba Ayub asks the div for permission to speak with Qais but the monster refuses. Instead, the div gives the man another test. The creature asks him to choose between returning to Maidan Sabz with his son or leaving the boy in his new home. Baba Ayub longs to see his favourite child, but later comes to the conclusion that Qais would be happier and better cared for if he stays with the div. The man then packs up his things and prepares to leave without his