‘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 enginessent 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 siegewill 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 chivalrousthan any of
us! I wishthat 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 generousYusuf 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.