CHAPTER III
THE BOYS CLIMB THE PYRAMIDS
"UNCLE Ben, I am going to ride the Pasha out to the Pyramids,"announced George, as they were talking over their plans for a trip tothe great Pyramids of Gizeh. They had just come in from a ride, andNabul and Abdal were anxiously waiting, fearful lest the tall Effendiwould say, "Well, boys, we won't need you to-morrow."
"Do you really mean to say that when you can either drive in acomfortable automobile or carriage, or ride on a street-car out to thePyramids, that you prefer donkey back?" asked his uncle.
"Indeed I do, Uncle Ben, it's lots more fun," said George, "besides wecan ride in automobiles and street-cars when we are home."
George was now quite used to riding donkey-back, though didn't he feeltired and bumped about the first day or two! But now he could ride aswell as the little Egyptian boys, and Nabul had taught him how to guidethe donkey by taps with his heels; as for Teddy Pasha, he obeyed Georgealmost as well as he did his little master.
"And Nabul, how will he get out there, run all the way? It's somedistance, you know," said Mr. Winthrop, smiling at the boys.
"No, no!" broke in Nabul eagerly, "I ride behind the young Effendi;Teddy Pasha, he is strong."
"Yes, uncle, you know how strong these little donkeys are; they don'tmind one bit carrying two persons. When Nabul gets tired of walking hecan easily ride behind with me, can't you, Nabul?" chimed in George.
Nabul nodded vigorously, "Yes, yes."
"Well, if you boys and Teddy Pasha don't mind, it's all right," laughedUncle Ben, "but if you don't object, I am going to drive, so, Abdal,I will not want you to-day, but there is a gentleman in the hotel whowants a donkey boy, and I have told him to take you," continued Mr.Winthrop.
The boys all pulled long faces, especially Abdal, who knew he was goingto miss a good time, for they intended to take their lunch and stay theday.
"It is just as well if neither of them went," muttered Mustapha, "thereis sure to be trouble with the boys out there."
George started to ask why, but before he had a chance Mustapha carriedthe boys off to make arrangements for the morrow.
Little Nabul was at his usual place bright and early the next morning,all ready for their trip to the great Pyramids. He had a broad grin onhis face as he peered through the railings and "salaamed" or bowed toMr. Winthrop and George, who were finishing their breakfast at one ofthe little tables on the terrace.
The Pasha, too, looked around and wriggled his ears knowingly.
"He smells sugar, the rascal," exclaimed George, who had got inthe habit of giving him sugar, and so, filling his pocket from thesugar-bowl, he came down into the street and began feeding it to thedonkey.
Mustapha now came up with a small open carriage, and they got off atonce, leaving Abdal looking very blue.
Uncle Ben was in the carriage and Mustapha on the seat beside thedriver, while George on Teddy Pasha trotted along, guided by Nabul onfoot as usual.
Soon they were crossing the bridge across the Nile which has two greatstone lions at either end, and then out on to a long, straight avenueshaded by big trees, which leads straight as an arrow from the city ofCairo out to the Pyramids.
There were many people coming and going along the great avenue. Thecountry folks were bringing their produce into the city to sell, andmuch of it was carried on the backs of donkeys. There were greatlumbering carts drawn by oxen, and long lines of camels, laden withsuch big loads piled on their backs that they looked like movingmountains.
Up to the very gates of Cairo come the great gardens and farms whichgrow bountiful supplies of vegetables and fruits, and there are evengreat wheat-fields watered by the flowing Nile and tilled by thefellaheen, or labourers, after the same manner that the natives ofArabia, across the Red Sea, worked in Bible times.
Egypt is a great and progressive and very wealthy country, but thecountry folk have not all been taught as yet how to get the bestresults from their labour. They are learning rapidly, however, andthey see things in the city, when they bring their produce to market,which please their fancies, and now in many an Egyptian farmhouse builtof sun-baked mud, and even in the tents of the Bedouin Arabs of thedesert, one often sees those common nickel alarm clocks, oil lamps, andeven little hand sewing-machines.
Amidst all this throng of country people going citywards our friendsmade but slow progress. Often the little donkeys from the country wouldpass, carrying two and sometimes three big men on their backs.
"See what great loads these country donkeys have to carry," said Nabulto his donkey. "Thou shouldst be willing to carry me for a while," andso saying Nabul jumped up on Teddy Pasha's broad back behind the littleAmerican.
Teddy Pasha turned his head around with an inquiring look as much as tosay, "Oh, yes, I can see you," and then drooped his ears, then stoodstock-still. Not a foot would he budge.
"Go on, lazy one, is this the way that thou wilt disgrace me?" criedNabul, beating his heels against the Pasha. "No one will again believeme when I praise thee! Oh, thou ungrateful beast!" he continued,half-crying with vexation. By this time the carriage was far ahead andsome little children wading in a pool by the wayside began to jeer atthem.
George remembered the sugar in his pocket and tried to coax the Pashawith some of it. The Pasha ate it gratefully, but that was all he woulddo.
At this moment the boys heard some one laugh behind them, and thejingle of donkey bells, and who should go dashing past them but Abdalon his donkey, Bobs!
The minute Pasha saw it was Bobs passing him he got on his mettle andaway he went after him. Meantime the carriage had halted, and when theboys came up, Uncle Ben was looking anxiously around and Mustapha wasready to scold.
"Why dost thou linger?" he demanded of Nabul, "and Abdal, why artthou not in the city earning money instead of galloping all over thecountry?"
"I knew well that when the Effendi reaches the great Pyramids he willwant to ride out to see the wonderful Sphinx, and I knew, too, hewould not want to ride one of those miserable little donkeys that onefinds there, so, behold, I am here at his service," and Abdal, quiteunabashed, smiled so sweetly at Mr. Winthrop, that the gentleman didnot have the heart to scold him for deserting his friend at the hotel.
"Thou wilt have to fight, then, with the donkey boys at the Pyramids;they will call thee a meddler, and perhaps beat thee," called outMustapha ungraciously as the little procession started on again.
"Pouf," said Nabul, "they are only Bedouins." The little boys who livein Cairo have a great contempt for the Bedouins, the people who live inthe desert.
"Why should they object to our riding your donkeys?" asked George, fullof curiosity.
Nabul explained in his broken English that there was a tribe ofBedouins who lived near the Pyramids, who thought that they only hadthe right to act as guides to the visitors who come to see these greatmonuments. This was because the men of their tribe had been doing thisfor years and years; and it was thus that they resented any one comingin and interfering with their ancient privileges.
"I call that real selfish, don't you, Uncle Ben?" exclaimed George.
"But they shall not fight me and Abdal, we are your donkey boys; youride our donkeys in the great city, and you shall ride our donkeys atthe Pyramids; it is the same thing; they shall not run us away," saidlittle Nabul stoutly.
"We won't let them," declared George, and he doubled up his fists,"we'll fight first."
"Behold the great Pyramids!" called out Mustapha, pointing between thetrees. Sure enough, there stood the three Pyramids, that every childknows so well from the pictures, rising one behind the other.
"They look very small," said George disappointedly.
"But they are big, very big, wait and you will see," said Nabul. Thiswas quite true. As they rode nearer, the Pyramids seemed to grow biggerand bigger. Now as they had come to the end of the avenue the carriagestopped, for only the sandy desert lay beyond.
Abdal had Bobs ready and Uncle Ben mounted, and away they
went up asloping hill toward the largest of the three Pyramids. All around thebase of this Pyramid were gathered a crowd of Egyptians, men and boys,leading camels and donkeys. As soon as they caught sight of the littleparty, this howling crowd came rushing to meet them. A number of themgathered around Uncle Ben and George, catching hold of them; shoutingin their own language and in broken English, "Take me for guide! Takeme for guide!" Such a din as they kept up was never heard anywhere else.
George did not know whether to laugh or to feel frightened when two bigfellows tried to pull him off his donkey, but he held on to Teddy Pashafor dear life, and the Pasha helped him fend off the fellows by backinghis ears and kicking out with his heels.
Meanwhile Nabul and Abdal were brandishing their sticks in the faces ofthe Bedouins and calling them all kinds of names, all the while holdingon tightly to the bridles of their own donkeys. Big, fat Mustaphaforgot all about his dignity and went at the fellows, trying to pushthem away and shouting at the top of his voice. In the midst of thefuss Nabul cried out: "O Sheik, O Sheik, decide for us!" At the sametime he rushed up to a tall man with a long gray beard and flowingwhite garments, who strode up, giving the crowd of Bedouins a whackfirst to one side and then to the other with a high staff which hecarried in his hand.
"Oh, thou ruffians, wilt thou drive the strangers away with thyviolence?" demanded the old man, looking sternly around him, whileMustapha explained things to him.
"The Sheik will make them behave now," said Abdal.
"How can he?" asked George, glad to be free of the two Bedouins who hadbeen pestering him.
"It is the Sheik of the Pyramids, the chief of the tribe, they mustobey him," answered Nabul.
"Who gave them the right to guard the Pyramids? Why can't anybody walkaround here alone if he wants to?" persisted the American boy.
"I know not, it has always been so," said Nabul with a shrug of hisshoulders.
"Ah! And they pay many pieces of gold as a tax for the right," chimedin Abdal, looking wise.
"They rob the travellers of money, too, the thieves!" returned Nabul,glowering at a bunch of donkey boys who were poking all manner of funat the little boys from the city, though they did not dare to attackthem while the Sheik was around.
Mustapha had evidently arranged matters with the Sheik, and came backwith four of the Bedouins whom he said would take Mr. Winthrop andGeorge up to the top of the great Pyramid.
"Dear me, I certainly don't need two big men to help me climb upthere," exclaimed George. "Why, it must be as easy as can be to climbfrom one of those steps to another, Uncle Ben."
"It's probably harder work than it looks, just try it," answered hisuncle.
Mustapha was going to sit in the shade and have a friendly smoke withthe Sheik, and rest after his exertions, but he very graciously toldNabul and Abdal that, if they wanted to, they could leave their donkeysin his charge and climb up with the "young Effendi."
Nothing loath, the little Egyptians began to scramble up the side ofthe great Pyramid, calling to George to follow, that they knew the way.
The Pyramids are so built that the stones form great steps from thebottom to the top. To George's great surprise when he got to the firstof these steps, which looked so small from the ground, he found it wasas high as he was. The little Egyptian boys quickly hoisted themselvesup, and nothing daunted, George followed as best he could; but aftertwo or three of these high steps, he was glad enough to have his twoguides take hold of his arms--one on either side--and lift him easilyfrom one big step to the other. George was so out of breath that hecould not say a word, but only watch Nabul and Abdal away ahead of him,climbing up the great stone blocks like gazelles. The ascent seemedto take a long time to George, but it was really only a few minutesbefore the two Bedouins lifted him over the last step. Close behind himcame his uncle, panting between his two guides, and the little partynow found themselves on a sort of platform at the tip-top of the greatPyramid.
How much could be seen from their lofty perch! And how eager were thelittle Egyptians to point out everything to the strangers!
There were the other two Pyramids, much smaller than the one theystood on, which is called the Pyramid of Cheops. On one side stretchedthe great yellow desert of sand and rocks; on the other were greenfields and groups of little Arab villages and palm-trees. That silverribbon running through the green fields, way off yonder, was the greatwaterway of the Nile, and there beside it was the big white city ofCairo. They laughed as they looked down on the guides and donkey boysfar below, for they looked like little toy figures.
"The Pyramids were built for tombs, weren't they, Uncle Ben?" askedGeorge, as they rested and sipped tiny cups of coffee, which theybought from a man dressed in a yellow gown and green turban who satbeside a small brazier of charcoal making coffee to sell to thevisitors.
"Yes, by those old Kings of Egypt--the Pharaohs. The stones of whichthey are built were brought from great distances and put into place byregular armies of men who worked many long years. Even to-day there ismore or less mystery surrounding them, and strangers from all over theworld never cease to wonder and marvel at these curious monuments."
After resting awhile, our party climbed down again, which was almost ashard work as getting up. At the bottom the donkey boys of the Pyramidswere waiting for them again, and only the Sheik's stern eye kept themin good order.
"You see that door there," said Nabul, pointing to an opening in thebase of the Pyramid; "you can go inside if you like. It is said thatthe great kings of olden times were buried in there. That is the doorto the tombs; and there is a great room inside with pictures paintedon the walls, but oh, it is dark, I like it not," said little Nabul,shaking his head.
George did not think he would like it, either, and wanted to know wherethe Sphinx was. So all mounted the donkeys again and trotted throughthe sand to see the Sphinx, followed by the disappointed Bedouin donkeyboys who finally one by one trailed off and left them in peace.
"I thought the Sphinx was right beside the Pyramids. I don't see itnow," said George.
"It is there, the great Sphinx, see!" said Nabul, as they turned arounda hillock of sand. Sure enough there was the big stone head sticking upout of the sand. Nabul and Abdal brought the donkeys to a standstill infront of it, and the boys stood on the edge of a great pit staring atthe strange figure which has the head of a human being and the body ofa lion, and which was carved out of the rock so long ago that no onenow knows its history.
"Look, the Sphinx smiles, she always smiles like that," whispered Nabul(he called it "Spinkie" in a funny little way). "I think sometimes Ican see her mouth move." It is quite true that the stone lips do seemto smile.
"Let's climb up and whisper something in its ear," said George. Theboys ran down the sloping sides of the great pit in which sat theSphinx, but to George's amazement he found that he could not evenclimb up to one of the great paws, much less the head which toweredhigh above them.
By this time they all decided that they were very hungry, and that itwould be a fine idea to have a picnic between the paws of the greatSphinx. So Mustapha opened the lunch basket which he had brought, andthe little party seated themselves in the shade of the strange stoneface, and spread out the contents of the palm-leaf basket on a big flatstone. Nabul and Abdal had their lunch stowed away somewhere in theirgarments, and they were eager that George should taste their favouritedish of fried peppers that--ugh!--made his mouth smart, though he likedtheir sweet honey cakes. But not for anything would the little Egyptianboys eat any of the nice cold ham which was a part of his lunch, for nolittle Mohammedan child, or grown person either, would touch pork inany shape or form. It was against their religion.
AT THE PYRAMIDS.]
Then they discovered that they were very thirsty, and Abdal ran off tofind something cool to drink, and came back with one of the vendors oflemonade who hang around the Pyramids selling their cool drinks. The_sherbutli_, as Abdal called him, wore a bright red apron and carriedlittle blue china cups on a b
rass tray. These he filled with lemonadefrom the big glass bottle which was slung over his shoulder, and thechildren thought nothing ever tasted nicer.
They rested for awhile and amused themselves watching the people whocame riding up on camels or donkeys to see the Sphinx. Finally Mustaphasaid it was time to go back to the city, and though George stoutlydeclared he wasn't a bit tired he was not really sorry when Uncle Bensaid that he had better drive back in the carriage with him, and TeddyPasha and Bobs were probably glad, too, when they turned into theirstables that night.