Jamil
climbed on the camel's back. “Saraf, I need to go to the pyramid and
meet my father. If you take me there without being stubborn, I will give
you a bucket of dates.”
Saraf
nodded his head up and down and bent over so Jamil could climb on his
back. He thought about the dates and his tummy rumbled, reminding him
how hungry he was.
Off
they went, leaving the oasis far behind them. Jamil didn't take any
water with him as he knew it wasn't that far to the pyramids, but soon
he regretted it. “I think we passed that palm tree before,” he mumbled.
“Do you know where you are going, Saraf?”
The
camel nodded his head and snorted. He galloped through the sand without
a care in the world.
“Saraf,
I think that is the same palm tree. Do you know where the pyramids are?”
Jamil brushed the blowing sand off his face. “I am hot and I didn't
bring any water. My father is waiting for me. If you don't take me there
right now, I will not give you any dates.”
Saraf,
being a stubborn camel, heard Jamil's threats. He stopped.
“What
are you stopping for, Saraf?” Jamil kicked his heels into the camel's
side. “Saraf? No dates.”
What
Jamil didn't realize was that Saraf understood everything he said and
each time he threatened the camel, he heard. Saraf snorted and kicked
the sand with his hooves.
Jamil
climbed off the camel's back. He walked around to Saraf's face and
looked him in the eyes. “Saraf, I must get to the pyramids. Do you not
want dates? Do you want to be hungry?” Jamil climbed back on the camel's
back.
Saraf
sat in the stand. He collapsed his legs and fell to the ground.
“Oh no!
Don't do this, Saraf! I must go. You are stubborn. Bad camel,” Jamil
sighed.
The
camel looked across the sand. He saw a storm coming and snorted. Jamil
looked up and saw the storm. “I must hide.” He curled up to the side of
Saraf's furry body and waited as the sandstorm blew over. When it
passed, Jamil stood. He brushed the sand off himself and then off the
camel. “Saraf, thank you for protecting me from the sandstorm. For that
reason alone you deserve a bucket of dates.”
The
camel's ears twitched and turned to look at the boy.
Jamil
climbed on Saraf's back.
Saraf
stood, shaking the rest of the sand off. He snorted and then ran toward
the pyramid. He wanted some dates.
A while
later they arrived. Jamil's father waited patiently. “What took you so
long, Jamil? Was it that stubborn camel?”
Jamil
looked over at Saraf and winked. “We encountered a sand storm. Saraf
saved my life.” He stroked the camel's back.
“In
that case, Saraf will get two buckets of dates,” his father said.
That
night Saraf sat near the pyramid munching on his dates. Jamil walked
past and patted him on the head. “You're a good camel, Saraf. I will
never call you stubborn again.” And he didn't.