Zahir assented to the advice of his wife.  He made all preparations for departure, struck his tents, loaded his camels, and started off on the road towards the camp of the Saad tribe, with whom he was in alliance.  Yet in spite of all, he felt a keen pang at separating himself from his brother—­and thus he spoke:  “On starting on a journey which removes me from you, I shall be a thousand years on the way, and each year will carry me a thousand leagues....  Even though the favors you heap upon me be worth a thousand Egypts, and each of these Egypts had a thousand Niles, all those favors would be despised.  I shall be contented with little so long as I am far from you.  Away from you, I shall recite this distich, which is worth more than a necklace of fine pearls:  ’When a man is wronged on the soil of his tribe, there is nothing left him but to leave it; you, who have so wickedly injured me, before long shall feel the power of the kindly divinity, for he is your judge and mine, he is unchangeable and eternal.”

Zahir continued his journey, until he reached the Saad tribe, when he dismounted from his horse.  He was cordially received and was pressed to take up his abode with them.  His wife was at that time soon to become a mother, and he said to her:  “If a son is given to us, he will be right welcome; but if it be a daughter, conceal her sex and let people think we have a male child, so that my brother may have no reason to crow over us.”  When her time came Zahir’s wife brought into the world a daughter.  They agreed that her name should be actually Djaida, but that publicly she should be known as Djonder, that people might take her for a boy.  In order to promote this belief, they kept up feasting and entertainment early and late for many days.

About the same time Moharib, the other brother, had a son born to him, whom he named Khaled (The Eternal).  He chose this name in gratitude to God, because, since his brother’s departure, his affairs had prospered well.

The two children eventually reached full age, and their renown was widespread among the Arabs.  Zahir had taught his daughter to ride on horseback, and had trained her in all the accomplishments fitting to a warrior bold and daring.  He accustomed her to the severest toils, and the most perilous enterprises.  When he went to war, he put her among the other Arabs of the tribe, and in the midst of these horsemen she soon took her rank as one of the most valiant of them.  Thus it came to pass that she eclipsed all her comrades, and would even attack the lions in their dens.  At last her name became an object of terror; when she had overcome a champion she never failed to cry out:  “I am Djonder, son of Zahir, horseman of the tribes.”

Her cousin Khaled, on the other hand, distinguished himself equally by his brilliant courage.  His father Moharib, a wise and prudent chief, had built houses of entertainment for strangers; all horsemen found a welcome there.  Khaled had been brought up in the midst of warriors.  In this school his spirit had been formed, here he had learned to ride, and at last had become an intrepid warrior, and a redoubtable hero.  It was soon perceived by the rest of the army that his spirit and valor were unconquerable.