Egypt –1167
The old general was right. Three years later, Yusuf, now twentynine,
was marching beside his uncle at the head of the Syrian
army. ‘Why aren’t we taking the same road to Egypt as last time,
General?’ asked Yusuf.
‘Shawar and the Franks know that we’re coming. We must travel quickly and secretly. My hope is to surprise them by taking
the road down to the Dead Sea, and then travelling through the
Sinai Desert. We’ll get into the country by the back door while
our enemies are looking for us through their front windows!’
‘But, Uncle, won’t it be terrible for the men?’
‘Yes, but my soldiers are brave, and they want to win against
Shawar and his Frankish friends. They’ll do it!’
They crossed the hot dry land and near Suez, there was a
deadly desert storm that very nearly killed them all. Men and
horses were ill or died, but Yusuf spoke to the soldiers to help
them go on bravely: ‘Nuradin needs you to teach Shawar that
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.
18
victory winning
a fight
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‘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.
20
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21
siege when an
enemy army waits
around a castle
or town and
attacks it until
the people inside
open the doors to
them
wounded hurt
chivalrous how
a knight should
be: kind and
ready to help old
people, women
and children
wish to want
something very
much
generous always
ready to give
things to other
people
‘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
must remember all that I learned from Nuradin about talking
to angry and difficult people. If I’m wise and careful, God will
help me.’
After the long siege, Amalric’s men already knew that Yusuf
was a good soldier. While he explained the problems of the people
of Alexandria, the Franks learned that he was a good man,
too. Humphrey of Toron, an important knight, said, ‘General
Shirkuh’s nephew, Yusuf, is more truly chivalrous than any of
us! I wish that we worried as much as he does about those that
are too weak or sick to fight. I’d like to make him a knight, even
if he’s a Muslim.’ It was from this time that people in Europe
began to hear how kind and generous Yusuf was.
While Yusuf tried to make things better in Alexandria, Vizier
Shawar gave the Syrians gold to make them leave Egypt, but
Shirkuh was still angry. He wanted to win the war and he
wanted the Franks out of the country. Most of all, he wanted
Shawar out of Cairo, and he thought that most Egyptians
wanted this too. But Yusuf, after his terrible time in Alexandria,
was happy to march back home.