Jean P Sasson - [Princess 02] by Princess Sultana's Daughters (pdf)

incident that stands out in my mind. Ali dropped by our palace for a brief visit and had just entered the garden gate, when he stopped to order one of our servants to wash his car while he was visiting. While he was speaking, one of Amani's favorite dogs, Napoleon, chose to lift his leg on Ali's freshly laundered thobe. Ali, a vain man who is proud of his handsome and impeccable appearance, became speechless with rage. He kicked the poor creature brutally before Amani could rush to Napoleon's rescue. My daughter was so infuriated that she flung herself on her uncle, beating him on his arms and chest with her fists.
    Urinated upon by a dog and physically assaulted by his niece, Ali lost no time in leaving our home, shrieking to the smirking servants that not only was his sister completely mad, but she had given birth to demented children who preferred beasts over humans for companionship!
    From that moment, Amani hated her Uncle Ali with the same intensity that I had hated my unfeeling brother as a young girl.
    In the Muslim faith, a dog is considered impure, and that fact was a factor in Ali's extreme anger and disgust. In the Islamic faith, if a dog drinks out of any container, it should be washed seven times, the first of which should be in water mixed with dust.
    Ali is my only brother, and in spite of our continued explosive differences, he chooses to maintain a relationship with my family. Kareem forced Amani to telephone and apologize to her uncle, but the episode with Napoleon kept Ali away from our home for over two months. When he finally recovered from his anger and embarrassment, Ali returned for a visit, calling ahead to insist that our servants shut away Napoleon.
    I was apprehensive about Amani's anger, which I knew was thinly veiled, and was pleased with my daughter when she entered the sitting room on the day of Ali's visit, playing hostess and offering her uncle a glass of freshly squeezed grapefruit juice.
    With an expression of relief over the forgotten incident, Ali said that he happened to be quite thirsty.
    Noting the similarities between Sara and Amani, I beamed with motherly pride when my beautiful child graciously handed Ali a glass of juice and a plate of almond cookies. Her demeanor was above reproach. I gave her a happy smile, thinking to buy her a special present the next time that I went shopping.
    Ali smiled his approval and commented that Amani would, one day, make some lucky man very happy.
    It was only after Ali left that I discovered Amani in her bedroom, laughing so loudly that the servants came from all around to learn the cause of her merriment.
    Amani told an amazed audience that her uncle had drunk his juice out of a glass that had been licked clean by her entourage of stray pets! My daughter had filled the glass with cool water for her beasts prior to pouring juice for her uncle! Not only that, but she had given the recovered Napoleon a few licks on the cookies before serving them to Ali!
    The servants grinned with satisfaction, for Ali is not a popular man with them.
    While I tried to appear stern, my lips paid no heed, and my face trembled as I struggled to control my laughter. Giving up the charade of parental guidance, I held my daughter in my arms and roared uncontrollably.
    For the first time in her life, Amani exhibited traits that led me to hope she was a child born of my body after all.
    I know now that I should have scolded my child for a deed that would have caused Ali a heart attack had he known the truth, but I could barely control my glee. When I laughingly confided the story to Kareem, he had such a look of sheer horror at my amusement, that I knew my husband feared for the sanity of his loved ones.
    Kareem's patience snapped at my revelation. Seething with Muslim anger at the prank and disturbed by Amani's preoccupation with animals, he declared that the large number of animals in our home was ruining his life, and he insisted that we sit down with our daughter and have