Some 250 years ago, the Great King Ahmad Shah Durrani ruled Afghanistan and, from there, a magnificent empire extending from eastern Iran to northern India, and from the Amu Darya River to the Indian Ocean. Known to his people as Ahmad Shah Baba (Ahmad Shah, our father), the beloved king was an outstanding general and a just and wise ruler. But he was vexed with all kinds of problems that threatened his kingdom, and he realized he needed to find someone with the right qualities to help him. The big question was how to find such a person. Among other things, this story provides a framework through which young readers can consider and discuss the qualities one needs in order to live a useful and happy life. This intriguing legend is retold for young people by the Afghan storyteller and teacher Palwasha Bazger Salam, and is beautifully illustrated by artist Natasha Delmar. Additional pages include a biography of Ahmad Shah, a map of the Durrani Empire and suggested discussion points.

Palwasha Bazger Salam has degrees in Early Childhood Education from Kabul University and the University of Las Vegas where she currently lives and teaches. As Director of Teacher Education in Kabul for the Hoopoe Books for Afghanistan Program she helped develop Hoopoe's Afghan curriculum, translated our books into Dari and Pashto and trained our Afghan teacher training staff (www.booksforafghanistan.org). Ms. Salem comes from a family of storytellers and has continued this tradition in her retelling of two Hoopoe titles: "The Wisdom of Ahmad Shah" and "The Stranger's Farewell".