Image of the Week: Medieval Water Fight
© Durga Yael Bernhard
This illustration from my picture book Never Say a Mean Word Again doesn't really have a title. Set in Spain a thousand years ago, this thought-provoking tale by author Jacqueline Jules tells of a boy who makes friends with an enemy. Hamza, the tax collector's son, is offended by Samuel's boyish clumsiness to the point of hating him. Samuel, the befuddled son of the royal vizier, is based on the life of Shmu'el (Samuel) Hanagid, who lived from 993 to 1056 CE. Hanagid was a wise and learned man, a rabbi, accomplished poet, military leader and advisor to the king of Cordova. As such, he reached the highest position of power held by a Jew in Europe. When castigated for not using his power to punish a man who had insulted him, Hanagid is known for his legendary response: "I have torn out his tongue and replaced it with a kind one." This was the kernel of inspiration for Never Say a Mean Word Again.
Even though he is the victim of Hamza's impulsive anger, young Samuel is the one who is charged with the task of setting things right. "See to it that Hamza never says a mean word to you again," commands his father. No one disobeyed the great vizier – thus Samuel begins a campaign of stopping Hamza from being mean by a series of comical attempts at punishment, all of which turn to play. In the process, Samuel discovers a boy who needs a friend. By the end of the story, they're best buddies.
So here they are – a Jewish boy and a Muslim boy, frolicking in a lake and playing with marbles. Then and now, boys will be boys, and children let go of grudges easily – if their parents let them. The main differences I discovered between then and now are the marbles and the bathing suits. The marbles would have been made of clay, with some white-washed and others left brown. The bathing suits would have been underwear – crude garments of hand-spun flax that extended almost to the knee. Stripped of their outerwear, the two boys play as equals. These kids have something to teach us! No wonder the book won seven awards, including the Sydney Taylor Award from the Association of Jewish Libraries, and the American Folklore Society's Aesop Accolade. The book has also been published in Russian and Spanish.
You can get a signed copy of Never Say a Mean Word Again in my webstore, find it on Amazon, or request the book at your local library (please do! many librarians will honor such a request).
A good week to all!
D Yael Bernhard