But you must go to school or you’ll be in terrible trouble. Don’t forget what Father said the last time that you were late!’ Yusuf jumped down from his horse’s back and took him back to the house. Then he ran as fast as he could for school. The old teacher looked up angrily when Yusuf hurried into the room. He was very late. ‘You’ll have to stay this afternoon to do all the work that you’ve missed, boy!’ Yusuf sat next to Turan Shah. ‘Where are we?’ he asked. Turan Shah showed Yusuf the words in the holy Koran that
the boys were reading. ‘It’s the story of the Prophet Yusuf and how his brothers left him in the desert because they didn’t like him,’ he smiled, not very kindly.
‘Stop talking and learn!’ The teacher’s stick hit both boys. It hurt. Turan Shah cried out, but Yusuf said nothing. ‘What am I going to do with you, Yusuf?’ said his father later
that day. ‘Your teacher tells me that you’re clever and quick to learn, but that you’re never at school. I know that you’re always with the horses, but you’re not a child any more. You must learn to be a man and a soldier. I’m going to send you to my brother
Shirkuh. You know that now he’s an important general working for Zengi’s son, Nuradin, up in Aleppo.’ ‘Can I take Aneed with me?’ ‘No! Since we came to Damascus you’ve only played. Now you must work. Get ready. We leave in an hour.’