Amal has three hours to show Layla around her town. A closed bookshop changes the order of their walk, but there is still time for the places Layla enjoys.
01Read the Arabic story
جَوْلَةٌ مَعَ زَائِرَةٍ فِي بَلْدَتِي
اِسْمِي أَمَلٌ. زَارَتْنِي صَدِيقَتِي لَيْلَى فِي بَلْدَتِي، وَكَانَ عِنْدَهَا ثَلَاثُ سَاعَاتٍ فَقَطْ قَبْلَ حَافِلَةِ الْعَوْدَةِ. سَأَلْتُهَا: «مَاذَا تُحِبِّينَ أَنْ تَرَيْ؟» قَالَتْ: «أُحِبُّ الْكُتُبَ وَالْمَبَانِيَ الْقَدِيمَةَ، وَلَا أُرِيدُ التَّسَوُّقَ لِلْمَلَابِسِ». خَطَّطْتُ لِجَوْلَةٍ قَصِيرَةٍ سَيْرًا عَلَى الْأَقْدَامِ.
اِلْتَقَيْنَا عِنْدَ الْمَحَطَّةِ فِي السَّاعَةِ الْوَاحِدَةِ، وَسِرْنَا إِلَى مَكْتَبَةٍ قَرِيبَةٍ. لَكِنَّ الْبَابَ كَانَ مُغْلَقًا، وَعَلَيْهِ وَرَقَةٌ تَقُولُ: «نَفْتَحُ فِي الثَّانِيَةِ». قُلْتُ: «لَا بَأْسَ، نَزُورُ السَّاحَةَ الْقَدِيمَةَ أَوَّلًا، ثُمَّ نَعُودُ إِلَى هُنَا». اِتَّجَهْنَا إِلَى الْيَمِينِ، وَبَعْدَ خَمْسِ دَقَائِقَ وَصَلْنَا.
فِي السَّاحَةِ بُرْجٌ قَدِيمٌ وَنَافُورَةٌ صَغِيرَةٌ. تَوَقَّفَتْ لَيْلَى لِتَصْوِيرِ الْبُرْجِ، وَسَأَلَتْنِي عَنِ الْبُيُوتِ الْمُحِيطَةِ بِهِ. بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ مَشَيْنَا فِي شَارِعٍ هَادِئٍ وَعُدْنَا إِلَى الْمَكْتَبَةِ. كَانَتْ مَفْتُوحَةً هَذِهِ الْمَرَّةَ، فَاخْتَارَتْ لَيْلَى كِتَابَ قِصَصٍ لِابْنَةِ أُخْتِهَا.
بَقِيَ عِنْدَنَا نِصْفُ سَاعَةٍ، فَجَلَسْنَا فِي مَقْهًى أَمَامَ الْمَحَطَّةِ وَشَرِبْنَا الشَّايَ. قُلْتُ: «هَلْ كَانَتِ الْجَوْلَةُ سَرِيعَةً جِدًّا؟» قَالَتْ: «لَا، رَأَيْتُ أَشْيَاءَ أُحِبُّهَا، وَعِنْدِي هَدِيَّةٌ أَيْضًا!» عِنْدَ الرَّابِعَةِ رَكِبَتِ الْحَافِلَةَ، وَوَعَدَتْنِي بِزِيَارَةٍ أَطْوَلَ فِي الْمَرَّةِ الْقَادِمَةِ.
Show English translationHide English translation
My name is Amal. My friend Layla visited me in my town, and she had only three hours before her return bus. I asked her, “What would you like to see?” She said, “I like books and old buildings, and I do not want to shop for clothes.” I planned a short walking tour.
We met at the station at one o’clock and walked to a nearby bookshop. But the door was closed, and there was a notice on it saying, “We open at two.” I said, “No problem. We will visit the old square first, then come back here.” We turned right and arrived after five minutes.
There is an old tower and a small fountain in the square. Layla stopped to photograph the tower and asked me about the houses around it. After that, we walked along a quiet street and returned to the bookshop. It was open this time, so Layla chose a storybook for her sister’s daughter.
We had half an hour left, so we sat in a café opposite the station and drank tea. I said, “Was the tour too quick?” She said, “No. I saw things I like, and I have a gift too!” At four, she boarded the bus and promised me a longer visit next time.
02Useful words from the story
| Arabic in the story | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| بَلْدَتِي | my town |
| جَوْلَةٍ | a tour |
| سَيْرًا عَلَى الْأَقْدَامِ | on foot |
| مُغْلَقًا | closed |
| السَّاحَةَ | the square |
| نَافُورَةٌ | a fountain |
| لِتَصْوِيرِ | to photograph |
| هَدِيَّةٌ | a gift |
03Check your understanding
Choose one answer for each question. Look back at the Arabic story when you need a clue. Open the English support if you need help understanding a question.
What to remember
- Use Layla’s interests to understand Amal’s choice of stops.
- Follow the revised order: the square first, then the bookshop, then tea near the station.
Explore the Arabic in this story
Related grammar and vocabularyOpen Araqick guides connected to this story.
Directions in Arabic: Left, Right and Straight Ahead
اِتَّجَهْنَا إِلَى الْيَمِينِ
Review the direction word used on the walk to the old square.
Places in the City in Arabic: 12 Useful Words
فِي مَقْهًى أَمَامَ الْمَحَطَّةِ
Connect town-place vocabulary with stops on a walking tour.
“I Like” and “I Want” in Arabic: Two Useful Sentence Patterns
أُحِبُّ الْكُتُبَ وَالْمَبَانِيَ الْقَدِيمَةَ
Use like and want to explain which activities interest a visitor.
