This game is widely known to people from the Arabian Gulf. It combines myth and legend, but it is also associated with negative consequences on children’s psyche as it instils a sense of fear that accompanies them throughout their lives.
As such, experts advise that parents provide their children with a safe and calm atmosphere that offers peace and stability.
Qaylah refers to noon or the midday, and qayloulah is the midday nap. People would prevent their children from going out at noon for fear of their safety in the heat of the day, so they would tell their children that a wild donkey comes out at this time of day.
They donkey was given the name Humar Al Qaylah, meaning the midday donkey, and was used to prevent children from going out. In Kuwait, people believed that a donkey-shaped beast would come out during qaylah, harming those it encountered. They would use this story to frighten the children, so that they would not go out at noon.
Ba’eer Bu Kharetah refers to a camel which has a kharetah, or food bag, in its mouth; hence the name Ba’eer Bu Kharetah.
The people of the Al Kuwais area, which is known for its palm trees, would use the story of the camel to scare their children so that they would not leave the house at noon. The children and boys would repeat what they heard as they pictured Humar Al Qaylah and Ba’eer Bu Kharetah, they would often play the role of one of these characters for fun and amusement.1
