he can’t break his promises to Syrians and stay out of danger!
Under Shirkuh we’ll have a great victory in Egypt and then
he’ll give rich presents for the bravest!’
Finally, they arrived. The men were very weak, and Shirkuh
decided that they weren’t ready to fight against the large armies
of Vizier Shawar and King Amalric. He stopped his soldiers at
Giza, on the other side of the river from Cairo.
‘We’ll wait and see what they do. I know that Shawar’s in
trouble. Most Egyptians don’t like it that he’s friendly with the
Franks. Everyone hates it when he gives Egyptian money to
Amalric because they know that he uses it to keep the Franks
fighting in the Holy Land. No Muslim wants this! Before long, all
the Egyptians will fight for us.’
At last, early one spring morning, Yusuf ran to his uncle. ‘Sir,
the enemy’s coming!’
The old general looked at his nephew. ‘Today, I want you to
do some real fighting, Yusuf. Take the group of soldiers in the
middle of my army. Make the Frankish knights think that you
and your men are weak and afraid. Turn and run. They’ll follow
with the hope of killing many of you, but I’ll take the rest of our
army around them. Then you’ll surprise them when you turn
round and fight!’
Yusuf was worried, ‘Will I do well? Will the men follow me and
do what I ask?’ But there were no problems. The plan worked!
King Amalric was lucky to get away safely, but Syrian swords
and arrows killed many of his knights. It was a great victory for
Nuradin’s men, but Shirkuh knew that he was not safe.
‘Yusuf, you’re a good soldier, and one day I know you’ll
be a great general. But we can’t stop now. Take the men to
Alexandria where we have friends. I’ll get the country people to
help me make trouble for Shawar and the Franks here. I’ll come
and help you when I’ve finished.’
It was a long time before Yusuf and his men saw the general
again. For months Yusuf and his small army fought to keep
Alexandria safe from the Franks. The enemy came by land and
by sea. No food or help could come into the town from outside
and siege engines sent stones and dead animals over the city
walls. This made life terrible for the people and the soldiers
inside the city. Many were ill, all were hungry, and many died.
But Yusuf kept his men fighting, while he worked as hard as
possible to make the lives of the people of Alexandria easier.
‘I’m sorry!’ he said, ‘It’s because you’re our friends that you’re
in trouble now. But I know that my uncle will come soon and
then the siege will be over. Until he arrives, be strong and brave!
I promise that the enemy won’t take the town while we’re here,
and my men and I will do all that we can to keep you safe.’
Yusuf was right. At last his uncle came with his new army
and ended the siege. The town was out of danger, but the war
wasn’t over yet. And there was a lot of work to do to make
the people of Alexandria truly safe. Yusuf went to talk to
the Franks to try to find ways to help the sick and wounded
Muslims in the town. ‘Will the Franks understand that it’s
wrong to fight old men, women, and children?’ he worried. ‘I