The Wadi Guardian | حارِسُ الوادِي
"A hermit who lives in a remote wadi protects travelers from the dangers of flash floods"
حارِسُ الوادِي
The Wadi Guardian
الفصلُ الأَوَّلُ: الرَّجُلُ الوَحِيدُ
Chapter One: The Solitary Man
فِي وادِي الشَّابِ المَعْرُوفِ بِجَمالِهِ وَخَطَرِهِ، عاشَ رَجُلٌ غَرِيبٌ يُدْعَى مُسَلَّمًا. لَمْ يَعْرِفْ أَحَدٌ مِنْ أَيْنَ جاءَ.
In Wadi Shab, known for its beauty and danger, there lived a strange man called Musallam. No one knew where he came from.
كانَ يَعِيشُ فِي كَهْفٍ صَغِيرٍ، يَأْكُلُ مِنَ الأَشْجارِ وَيَشْرَبُ مِنَ البُحَيْرَةِ. النَّاسُ ظَنُّوهُ مَجْنُونًا.
He lived in a small cave, ate from trees, and drank from the pool. People thought him mad.
لَكِنَّ مُسَلَّمًا كانَ لَهُ سِرٌّ: كانَ يَسْتَطِيعُ أَنْ يَشْعُرَ بِالسُّيُولِ قَبْلَ أَنْ تَأْتِيَ!
But Musallam had a secret: he could sense floods before they came!
الفصلُ الثَّانِي: التَّحْذِيرُ المُنْقِذُ
Chapter Two: The Life-Saving Warning
ذاتَ يَوْمٍ، جاءَتْ عائِلَةٌ لِلتَّنَزُّهِ فِي الوادِي. الأَطْفالُ يَلْعَبُونَ وَالأَبَوانِ يَضْحَكانِ.
One day, a family came to picnic in the wadi. The children were playing and the parents were laughing.
فَجْأَةً، ظَهَرَ مُسَلَّمٌ يَصْرُخُ: «اُخْرُجُوا! اُخْرُجُوا الآنَ! السَّيْلُ قادِمٌ!»
Suddenly, Musallam appeared screaming: "Get out! Get out now! The flood is coming!"
السَّماءُ كانَتْ صافِيَةً. ضَحِكَ الأَبُ وَقالَ: «هَذا مَجْنُونٌ. لا يُوجَدُ غَيْمٌ!»
The sky was clear. The father laughed and said: "This one is mad. There are no clouds!"
لَكِنَّ مُسَلَّمًا أَصَرَّ وَسَحَبَهُمْ بِالقُوَّةِ إِلى الأَعْلَى. وَبَعْدَ دَقائِقَ، جاءَ سَيْلٌ هادِرٌ مِنَ الجِبالِ!
But Musallam insisted and pulled them by force to higher ground. And after minutes, a roaring flood came from the mountains!
الفصلُ الثَّالِثُ: السِّرُّ المَكْشُوفُ
Chapter Three: The Secret Revealed
بَعْدَ أَنْ هَدَأَ السَّيْلُ، سَأَلَ الأَبُ مُسَلَّمًا: «كَيْفَ عَرَفْتَ؟»
After the flood subsided, the father asked Musallam: "How did you know?"
قالَ مُسَلَّمٌ: «قَبْلَ عِشْرِينَ عامًا، فَقَدْتُ عائِلَتِي كُلَّها فِي سَيْلٍ مُفاجِئٍ. كُنْتُ الناجِي الوَحِيدَ.»
Musallam said: "Twenty years ago, I lost my entire family in a sudden flood. I was the only survivor."
أَكْمَلَ: «مُنْذُ ذَلِكَ اليَوْمِ، جِسْمِي يَشْعُرُ بِالسُّيُولِ. لا أَعْرِفُ كَيْفَ. رُبَّما الأَرْضُ تَتَحَدَّثُ إِلَيَّ. وَأَنا أَبْقَى هُنا لِأَحْمِيَ مَنْ لا يَعْرِفُ.»
He continued: "Since that day, my body senses floods. I don't know how. Perhaps the earth speaks to me. And I stay here to protect those who don't know."
الفصلُ الرَّابِعُ: الإِرْثُ الخالِدُ
Chapter Four: The Immortal Legacy
انْتَشَرَتْ قِصَّةُ مُسَلَّمٍ، وَصارَ النَّاسُ يَحْتَرِمُونَهُ. أَحْضَرُوا لَهُ الطَّعامَ وَالمَلابِسَ، لَكِنَّهُ رَفَضَ مُغادَرَةَ الوادِي.
Musallam's story spread, and people came to respect him. They brought him food and clothes, but he refused to leave the wadi.
قالَ: «هَذا مَكانِي. هَذا واجِبِي.»
He said: "This is my place. This is my duty."
أَنْقَذَ عَشَراتِ الأَرْواحِ عَلى مَرِّ السِّنِينَ. وَحِينَ ماتَ، دَفَنُوهُ فِي الوادِي الَّذِي أَحَبَّهُ.
He saved dozens of lives over the years. When he died, they buried him in the wadi he loved.
وَيَقُولُ أَهْلُ المَنْطِقَةِ إِنَّ رُوحَهُ ما زالَتْ تَحْرُسُ الوادِي، تُحَذِّرُ المُسافِرِينَ مِنَ الخَطَرِ.
And the people of the area say his spirit still guards the wadi, warning travelers of danger.
تَمَّتِ القِصَّةُ | The End