Princess Sultana's Daughters

to
animals. I made many strange discoveries that had previously gone
undetected. The forty cats were dining on fresh fish from the Red
Sea, while the twelve dogs were treated to gourmet meats from an
expensive Australian- supplied butcher shop. Amani had been
appropriating money from the weekly funds that are deposited in a
small cash box in the kitchen, money that our servants used for our
personal shopping. Our household expenses are so enormous that our
bookkeeper had failed to notice the sum taken by our daughter to be
used for her animals. When I discovered that Amani was using large
amounts of money to purchase caged birds just in order to free
them, I seriously threatened my child with visits to a
psychiatrist, and for a while she became less involved with the
animal kingdom.
    I distinctly recall one dramatic occasion
that involved my brother, Ali. In the past, Ali had made a point of
complaining about Amani’s pets. He would grumble to me that no
self-respecting Muslim could enter my home for fear that the
animals roaming at will would create a need for purification. Ali’s
unmistakable dislike of animals evidently made an impression on the
psyches of Amani’s greatly loved creatures, since the dogs
generally made themselves scarce and hid in the bushes until my
brother passed through the garden.
    There was one particular 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