fishing Samar gathered the village girls and boys. Every week she would take them to the lake shore to teach them how to make medicine from selecting the right herbs to creating the final product. But she always began by sitting down and telling stories to the children then letting them play under the watchful eye of one of the mothers before taking the older children on a walk through the herbs she cultivated herself explaining the differences between them.
That day a strange man arrived in the village. He was between forty and fifty years old wearing a black cloak and covering half his face with a cloth. He was not as tall as the village men and walked with a slight stoop. He wandered from house to house stopping at each door and moving on when someone approached.
The women who were at home or returning from the market were alarmed. This was a day set aside for no visitors to enter the oasis and those seeking treatment were supposed to go to the lake where Samar was. They closed their windows and doors and one of them hurried to the lake to warn the fishermen.
At the lake Samar was still sitting among the children telling them stories. When she saw the woman running towards the fishing boats that were preparing to sail into the lake she stood up and followed her listening as the woman recounted the strangers actions. Alarm spread among the fishermen and they hurried back to the village. The village chief approached his daughter and told her to gather the children and young people and bring them back to their homes until they could figure out who this stranger was.
When the men returned to the village they found that the women had closed their doors and windows and that the village streets were empty. They found the stranger sitting by the well. The chief looked at his daughter who had returned the last child to their home and approached her father. With a smile she placed her hand on his chest and said Let me talk to him. Perhaps he needs help.
Her father nodded and told her to be careful. Samar approached the stranger sat on the wells edge and asked Why are you wandering around the houses when you know the men have gone fishing and only women and children are left?
I was looking for you he replied.
Why?
The stranger glanced at the men and said in a weak voice I apologize for what I did. My eyesight is failing and I was looking for the village healer. A woman from the city told me you have a healer who can restore youth to old men like me.
The village chief approached with a smile and said Welcome to our village. My daughter will take care of you. Ill see you this evening when we return from the lake.
The chief gestured for the other men to follow him and returned to the boats. As soon as the