‘Please, please tell us the story again! Please!’ The three brothers
were with their father, Ayyub, in the garden of his fine house in
the old town. Turan Shah, the oldest boy, was next to his father.
Yusuf, now seven years old, held Al-Adil, the baby, in his arms
and sat as near as he could to listen.
Ayyub smiled and began:
Six years before our Yusuf here was born, I was near the river
Tigris catching some birds for your mother to cook for dinner.
Suddenly, I saw a man on the other side of the water. He was having
trouble running. He had blood all over his face and clothes, but he still
carried his sword. Behind him I could see many soldiers riding fast
horses. I thought quickly. Near me was a small fishing boat. I jumped
in and pushed it across the river with a long stick.
Just then, the soldiers started to get near the water. I called to the man and helped him into the boat. I pushed the boat quickly into
the river while the soldiers started shooting at us. Arrows hit the
boat, but with God’s help we weren’t hurt! At last we got to the
other side. Dirty, wet and tired, we ran back home. Your mother and
sisters cooked us a wonderful meal that we enjoyed silently. The next
morning I learned the name of my guest. It was the great Zengi
himself! His army lost the battle the day before and all his soldiers
were dead or prisoners. He wanted to hurry back to Mosul to make
sure that the town was safe so I gave him new clothes and my best
horse. Riding away, he said, ‘I’ll never forget your help and will
always be a true friend to you and your family.’
‘What was the horse like, Father?’ asked Yusuf.
‘All you think about is horses, Yusuf,’ said Turan Shah.
‘He was the brother of the wind. It’s good to give with open
hands. Zengi has been our friend since then. I’m Governor of
Baalbek and we’re safe and comfortable here because of him.’
‘Yusuf! You must come now. It’s time to go to school.’
‘Oh, Al-Adil, I don’t want to go! Look at my horse, Aneed! I
don’t know why Turan Shah says that he’s bad. He’s going to be
very good at polo. He always knows what to do!’
The boy of fourteen rode quickly up to the ball with the stick
4 in his hand. He hit it hard and sent it flying over to his brother.
Al-Adil stopped the ball with his foot.
‘Father says that you’re the best rider of all of us, Yusuf. That’s
why, when Turan Shah couldn’t do anything with Aneed,
Father gave the horse to you. 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.’
‘Please, please tell us the story again! Please!’ The three brotherswere with their father, Ayyub, in the garden of his fine house inthe old town. Turan Shah, the oldest boy, was next to his father.Yusuf, now seven years old, held Al-Adil, the baby, in his armsand sat as near as he could to listen.Ayyub smiled and began:Six years before our Yusuf here was born, I was near the riverTigris catching some birds for your mother to cook for dinner.Suddenly, I saw a man on the other side of the water. He was havingtrouble running. He had blood all over his face and clothes, but he stillcarried his sword. Behind him I could see many soldiers riding fasthorses. I thought quickly. Near me was a small fishing boat. I jumpedin and pushed it across the river with a long stick.Just then, the soldiers started to get near the water. I called to the man and helped him into the boat. I pushed the boat quickly intothe river while the soldiers started shooting at us. Arrows hit theboat, but with God’s help we weren’t hurt! At last we got to theother side. Dirty, wet and tired, we ran back home. Your mother andsisters cooked us a wonderful meal that we enjoyed silently. The nextmorning I learned the name of my guest. It was the great Zengihimself! His army lost the battle the day before and all his soldierswere dead or prisoners. He wanted to hurry back to Mosul to makesure that the town was safe so I gave him new clothes and my besthorse. Riding away, he said, ‘I’ll never forget your help and willalways be a true friend to you and your family.’‘What was the horse like, Father?’ asked Yusuf.‘All you think about is horses, Yusuf,’ said Turan Shah.‘He was the brother of the wind. It’s good to give with openhands. Zengi has been our friend since then. I’m Governor ofBaalbek and we’re safe and comfortable here because of him.’‘Yusuf! You must come now. It’s time to go to school.’‘Oh, Al-Adil, I don’t want to go! Look at my horse, Aneed! Idon’t know why Turan Shah says that he’s bad. He’s going to bevery good at polo. He always knows what to do!’The boy of fourteen rode quickly up to the ball with the stick4 in his hand. He hit it hard and sent it flying over to his brother.Al-Adil stopped the ball with his foot.‘Father says that you’re the best rider of all of us, Yusuf. That’swhy, when Turan Shah couldn’t do anything with Aneed,Father gave the horse to you. But you must go to school or you’llbe in terrible trouble. Don’t forget what Father said the last timethat you were late!’Yusuf jumped down from his horse’s back and took him backto the house. Then he ran as fast as he could for school.The old teacher looked up angrily when Yusuf hurried into theroom. He was very late. ‘You’ll have to stay this afternoon to doall 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 thatthe boys were reading. ‘It’s the story of the Prophet Yusuf andhow his brothers left him in the desert because they didn’t likehim,’ he smiled, not very kindly.‘Stop talking and learn!’ The teacher’s stick hit both boys. Ithurt. Turan Shah cried out, but Yusuf said nothing.‘What am I going to do with you, Yusuf?’ said his father laterthat day. ‘Your teacher tells me that you’re clever and quick tolearn, but that you’re never at school. I know that you’re alwayswith the horses, but you’re not a child any more. You must learnto be a man and a soldier. I’m going to send you to my brotherShirkuh. You know that now he’s an important generalworking 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 youmust work. Get ready. We leave in an hour.’
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