The Boy Without a Name
The Boy Without a Name By Idries Shah
Publisher: Hoopoe Books 2007 | 32 Pages | ISBN: 1883536944 | PDF | 4 MB
Publisher: Hoopoe Books 2007 | 32 Pages | ISBN: 1883536944 | PDF | 4 MB
Ages 4-7. Nameless has grown up, well . . . nameless, owing to a wise man's visit on the day of his birth. He asks his friend Anwar for a name, but Anwar only has one name, and he can't afford to give it away. When the boys visit the wise man, he opens a magic box full of names, and one, "Husni," creeps into the nameless boy's ears. Anwar gets a gift, too: the wise man opens a box full of dreams, which enter both boys' ears giving them sweet dreams. The book is based on a great Islamic mystic's birth story, but the religious significance is set aside in favor of a broader message of peace and happiness. Unfortunately, the story fails to inform children why Husni remained Nameless for so long, and the illustrations lack the energy of Shah's telling. Even so, this is a satisfying bedtime story that will encourage pleasant dreams to drift into little ears.