Buzaak chinie (the porcelain goat) - Asma Salehi

An ancient folk tale known and beloved in Afghanistan,Buzaak Chinie(ThePorcelain Goat) blends familiar elements of Mother Goose, The Three Little Pigs, and Little Red Riding Hood with a wicked sense of humor, showing how mayhem can ensue when you don't listen to your mother!

Ask anyone from Afghanistan if they have heard this tale, and chances are the answer is yes. Told and retold from one generation to the next as a children's folk tale,Buzaak Chiniehas deep meaning for the people of Afghanistan. It also serves as a profound allegory for Afghan society.

Presented here for the first time in print,Buzaak Chiniewill appeal to new generations of readers.

Asma Salehiis an artist and designer. She is one of a very small number of Afghanistan-born, Western-educated female writers and artists. Her exhibition "Behind the Burkha" opens in 2010.