Chapter Four: Home Before Dinner
R
iyaz, as the self-appointed leader — after all, this was his idea — pointed to Mt. Kilimanjaro.
“Look, we can see it from here, let’s just go! It’s not too far.” Kiango and Uhuro nodded in agreement. Surely, they would be back before dinner? If the three boys had paid closer attention to Chapter 5 in Mr. Juma’s geography book, they might have realized that Mt. Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in all of Africa — towering more than 16,100 feet above its base — could be seen on a clear day from hundreds of miles away. But book learning wasn’t a priority for Riyaz and his two friends. They were, after all, adventurers. The boys started walking, passing goats who uttered a funny bleating noise when the boys tried to pet them. They passed clucking chickens feeding on small gardens, and waved at a friendly group of kids playing soccer on an empty dirt lot. “Come and join us!” the kids shouted. 16
Kiango and Uhuro briefly thought of abandoning their mountain trek to play, but Riyaz was already far down the road, so they scurried after him. Soon, the three friends reached the city limits. “Look, we can see Mt. Kilimanjaro from here, too, it’s even closer!” Riyaz joyfully exclaimed. Before them were fields with all variety of crops. They recognized the long green leaves of “mchicha,” or spinach, and Uhuro started to tell Riyaz and Kiango all about his favorite dish made with spinach, curry, and peanut butter. Riyaz felt his mouth watering. And his stomach rumbling. Next, they walked through a field of “bamia,” or okra. Kiango, not to be outdone by Uhuro, recounted how he loved it when his grandma — who by the way also used curry... nah, nah, nah, nah, nah! — made her bamia stew with coconut sauce. 17
Riyaz’s tummy growled even louder. Surely, Mt. Kilimanjaro was not so far that they couldn’t be back on time for mchicha or bamia? The sun was still high in the sky and boys kept walking and walking and walking some more, until they were too tired. They sat by the side of a dirt road, staring at Mt. Kilimanjaro, which seemed to be just ahead, awaiting them. They heard the congested sound of an old and rusty pickup truck sputtering its way, ever so slowly toward them. Riyaz stood and waved, and the truck coughed and coughed until it stopped. An ancient man sat behind the steering wheel. He wore a shredded straw hat that seemed to be the favorite snack of the goat sitting in the front seat next to him. Very politely, Riyaz explained that they were on their way to Mt. Kilimanjaro, and could they please sit in the open cargo bed until they got closer? The man responded by turning his head toward the back. “Asante! Thank you!” they cried while jumping aboard. 18
Chapter Eight: 36 Kilos, Almond-Eyes
R
iyaz’s feet felt like he was walking through wet cement as he trudged to the headmaster’s office.
Mr. Headmaster’s door was open, and all sorts of adults, who were not teachers for sure, were coming and going from it. He spotted three police officers just inside, huddled near Mr. Headmaster’s desk. “What are they doing here?” Riyaz wondered. A tall man with a turban on his head and a camera around his neck was scribbling what one of the policemen was saying into a notepad. Riyaz caught snippets of the conversation. “4-foot, 5-inches.” “36 kilos.” “Almond-eyes.” “School uniform.” They were all pieces of a puzzle that Riyaz couldn’t solve. “What could this be about?” he asked himself. 36
About the Author Talya Rotbart writes books for kids and the child in all of us. Her inspiration comes from her own children, now adults, and the world around her. The source of her imagination remains a mystery. When Talya isn’t authoring children’s books, she’s researching and cowriting adult fare with her husband, Dean, an award-winning journalist. Talya’s two adult children, Maxwell and Avital, are also published authors. Maxwell served as editor of this edition, and Avital designed the layout. Illustrator Frank Farrar is a multi-talented artist whose collection of native American and western illustrations have attracted a worldwide fan club. Both Talya and Frank are proud to call Colorado home.
Also Avaliable In:
French-English
Swahili-English
Les Aventures de Riyaz Basées sur une histoire vraie
Le Garcon Qui Repondit a L'appel du Kilimandjaro The Boy Who Answered the Call of Kilimanjaro Par Talya Rotbart Illustrations par Frank Farrar Traduction par Christine Pion
Spanish-English
Korean-English
Hindi-English रियाज़ की साहसिक कथा
리야즈의 모험
(सच्ची कहानी पर आधारित)
실화를 바탕으로 한 이야기
번역자
वह लड़का जिसने किलिमंजारो की पुकार का उत्तर दिया !
킬리만자로산의 부름에 답한 소년 The Boy Who Answered the Call of Kilimanjaro
The Boy Who Answered the Call of Kilimanjaro लेखक : ताल्या रोटबार्ट
글 탈리아 랏바트
चित्रण : फ्रैंक फर्रार
그림 프랭크 파라
अनुवादक: दिनेशचन्द्र बारोट
옮김 박정훈
Mandarin Simple-English 瑞亚兹的冒险 改编自真人真事
乞力马扎罗山的呼唤
Mandarin Traditional-English 瑞亞茲的冒險 改編自真人真事
乞力馬扎羅山的呼喚 The Boy Who Answered the Call of Kilimanjaro
The Boy Who Answered the Call of Kilimanjaro
作者: 泰雅 ∙ 罗伯特 插图: 法兰 ∙ 飞拉
翻译: 克里斯汀 ∙ 比安
作者: 泰雅 · 羅伯特 插圖: 法蘭 · 飛拉 翻譯: 克里斯汀 · 比安
Order Now From: www.gutenbergsstore.com
The Adventures of Riyaz
The Boy Who Answered the Call of Kilimanjaro __________
Based on the true story of a Tanzanian boy who sets out on an adventure, walking with two friends more than 450 kilometers from Dar es Salaam to Mt. Kilimanjaro. Along the way he uses his survival instincts, and learns some valuable lessons about goal-setting, family, and friends. Talya Rotbart writes books for kids and the child in all of us. Her inspiration comes from her own children, now adults, and the world around her. The source of her imagination remains a mystery. When Talya isn’t authoring children’s books, she’s researching and cowriting adult fare with her husband, Dean, an award-winning journalist.