Hind has stopped asking when they will make their kite. Her older brother must give his repeated promise a definite time and make space for it.
01Read the Arabic story
الْوَفَاءُ بِوَعْدِي لِأُخْتِي الصُّغْرَى
وَعَدْتُ أُخْتِي الصُّغْرَى هِنْدًا بِصُنْعِ طَائِرَةٍ وَرَقِيَّةٍ مَعَهَا. رَسَمَتْ شَكْلَهَا، وَجَمَعَتْ أَوْرَاقًا مُلَوَّنَةً فِي عُلْبَةٍ. كُلَّمَا رَأَتْنِي، سَأَلَتْ: «مَتَى نَبْدَأُ؟». كُنْتُ أَقُولُ: «قَرِيبًا»، ثُمَّ أَنْشَغِلُ بِوَاجِبَاتِي أَوْ بِأَصْدِقَائِي. أَجَّلْتُ الْعَمَلَ مَرَّتَيْنِ، وَفِي الْمَرَّةِ الثَّالِثَةِ وَجَدْتُ الْعُلْبَةَ تَحْتَ سَرِيرِهَا. لَمْ تَعُدْ تَسْأَلُنِي عَنْهَا.
جَلَسْتُ بِجَانِبِهَا وَسَأَلْتُهَا إِنْ كَانَتْ مَا زَالَتْ تُرِيدُ صُنْعَ الطَّائِرَةِ. قَالَتْ: «نَعَمْ، لَكِنَّكَ تَقُولُ قَرِيبًا كُلَّ مَرَّةٍ». اِعْتَذَرْتُ لِأَنَّنِي جَعَلْتُهَا تَنْتَظِرُ دُونَ مَوْعِدٍ وَاضِحٍ. فَتَحْتُ دَفْتَرِي، وَاخْتَرْنَا صَبَاحَ السَّبْتِ فِي السَّاعَةِ الْعَاشِرَةِ. كَتَبْنَا الْمَوْعِدَ عَلَى وَرَقَةٍ وَعَلَّقْنَاهَا فَوْقَ الْمَكْتَبِ، ثُمَّ أَعَدْنَا الْعُلْبَةَ إِلَى الطَّاوِلَةِ.
فِي مَسَاءِ الْجُمُعَةِ، أَنْهَيْتُ وَاجِبَاتِي، وَاشْتَرَيْتُ خَيْطًا وَغِرَاءً وَعِصِيًّا خَفِيفَةً. اتَّصَلَ بِي صَدِيقٌ وَدَعَانِي إِلَى مُبَارَاةٍ صَبَاحَ السَّبْتِ. قُلْتُ إِنَّ عِنْدِي مَوْعِدًا، وَاقْتَرَحْتُ أَنْ نَلْتَقِيَ بَعْدَ الظُّهْرِ. عِنْدَمَا سَمِعَتْ هِنْدٌ كَلَامِي، رَفَعَتْ رَأْسَهَا عَنِ الرَّسْمِ. لَمْ تَقُلْ شَيْئًا، لَكِنَّهَا قَرَّبَتِ الْعُلْبَةَ مِنْهَا وَبَدَأَتْ تَخْتَارُ الْأَلْوَانَ.
بَدَأْنَا فِي الْمَوْعِدِ، وَقَصَصْنَا الْوَرَقَ، ثُمَّ ثَبَّتْنَاهُ عَلَى الْعِصِيِّ. اخْتَارَتْ هِنْدٌ ذَيْلًا طَوِيلًا مِنَ الشَّرَائِطِ الْحَمْرَاءِ. بَعْدَ أَنْ جَفَّ الْغِرَاءُ، ذَهَبْنَا إِلَى الْحَقْلِ الْقَرِيبِ مَعَ أَبِينَا. كَانَتِ الرِّيحُ خَفِيفَةً، وَلَمْ تَرْتَفِعِ الطَّائِرَةُ فِي الْمُحَاوَلَةِ الْأُولَى. جَرَّبْنَا ذَيْلًا أَقْصَرَ، وَانْتَظَرْنَا قَلِيلًا. ثُمَّ ارْتَفَعَتِ الطَّائِرَةُ، وَأَمْسَكَتْ هِنْدٌ بِالْخَيْطِ وَضَحِكَتْ.
فِي طَرِيقِ الْعَوْدَةِ، سَأَلَتْنِي هِنْدٌ إِنْ كَانَ يُمْكِنُنَا صُنْعُ طَائِرَةٍ أُخْرَى. لَمْ أَقُلْ «قَرِيبًا». رَاجَعْتُ مَوَاعِيدِي، وَاخْتَرْنَا عَصْرَ السَّبْتِ التَّالِي. فِي الْيَوْمِ السَّابِقِ لِلْمَوْعِدِ، وَجَدْتُهَا تَضَعُ أَوْرَاقًا جَدِيدَةً عَلَى الْمَكْتَبِ وَتَتْرُكُ مَكَانًا لِدَفْتَرِي. وَضَعْتُ مَوَادَّ الْعَمَلِ بِجَانِبِهَا، وَبَدَأْتُ وَاجِبَاتِي مُبَكِّرًا لِأَكُونَ مُسْتَعِدًّا لِلْغَدِ.
Show English translationHide English translation
I promised my younger sister Hind that I would make a paper kite with her. She drew its shape and collected coloured paper in a box. Whenever she saw me, she asked, “When do we start?” I would say, “Soon,” then become busy with my homework or my friends. I postponed the work twice, and on the third occasion I found the box under her bed. She no longer asked me about it.
I sat beside her and asked whether she still wanted to make the kite. She said, “Yes, but you say ‘soon’ every time.” I apologised for making her wait without a clear time. I opened my notebook, and we chose Saturday morning at ten. We wrote the time on a sheet of paper and hung it above the desk, then put the box back on the table.
On Friday evening, I finished my homework and bought string, glue and light sticks. A friend called and invited me to a match on Saturday morning. I said I had an appointment and suggested meeting in the afternoon. When Hind heard me, she looked up from her drawing. She said nothing, but pulled the box closer and began choosing colours.
We started on time, cut the paper and fastened it to the sticks. Hind chose a long tail of red ribbons. After the glue dried, we went to the nearby field with our father. The wind was light, and the kite did not rise on the first attempt. We tried a shorter tail and waited a little. Then the kite rose, and Hind held the string and laughed.
On the way home, Hind asked whether we could make another kite. I did not say “soon.” I checked my schedule, and we chose the following Saturday afternoon. The day before the appointment, I found her putting fresh sheets of paper on the desk and leaving room for my notebook. I placed the materials beside them and started my homework early so that I would be ready for the next day.
02Useful words from the story
| Arabic in the story | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| طَائِرَةٍ وَرَقِيَّةٍ | a paper kite |
| أَجَّلْتُ | I postponed |
| مَوْعِدٍ وَاضِحٍ | a clear time; a definite appointment |
| غِرَاءً | glue |
| عِصِيًّا خَفِيفَةً | light sticks |
| ثَبَّتْنَاهُ | we fastened it |
| ذَيْلًا | a tail |
| الشَّرَائِطِ الْحَمْرَاءِ | the red ribbons |
| الْمُحَاوَلَةِ الْأُولَى | the first attempt |
| مُسْتَعِدًّا | ready |
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
- Notice the shift from an indefinite “soon” to a written appointment, preparation and protected time.
- Compare Hind’s early silence with her later preparations to infer how reliable actions affect trust.
Explore the Arabic in this story
Related grammar and vocabularyOpen Araqick guides connected to this story.
Because in Arabic: Give a Reason with Lianna
لِأَنَّنِي جَعَلْتُهَا تَنْتَظِرُ دُونَ مَوْعِدٍ وَاضِحٍ
Read the reason the narrator gives for apologising to his sister.
Arabic Time and Place Adverbs: Before, After, In Front and Behind
بَعْدَ الظُّهْرِ
Understand the new time proposed for meeting the friend.
