Today’s Excerpt:

Read the following story together.

A Boy of Courage
This tale comes from the Islamic tradition, a tradition that started with the prophet Muhammad. The following is Uplift’s retelling of the story, in the vein of our wisdom library.

Once there was a boy who was so fast that he could outrun grown men and so talented with a bow and arrow he could shoot a pebble off of a distant boulder.

One day he was practicing with his bow and arrow when he heard a commotion nearby — a team of bandits were in the process of stealing the prophet Muhammad’s camels.

Instead of running away, the boy decided to run nearer to the bandits. He hid behind a rock and shot arrows toward them, stalling their efforts.

The bandits turned toward where the arrows were coming from, and the boy took off in a flash, dashing for a tree, which he quickly climbed. From this vantage point, he pointed his bow and arrow at the bandits. His aim was so accurate, they didn’t dare get closer.

The boy and the bandits were at a standstill. Just then, a group of Muhammad’s defenders rode up to where the action was taking place, and the bandits took off.

From that day on, people celebrated the boy’s courage.

Discuss:

• Can you think of another story of when someone was courageous enough to stand up against bullies?
• If you see someone doing something wrong, like stealing, what can you do?