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Doi frați și un oraș
Odată, demult, peste orașul Ierusalim domnea înțeleptul rege Solomon. Într-o zi, dinaintea regelui veniră doi frați. Tatăl lor murise de puțină vreme, iar ei porniseră gâlceavă pentru pământul rămas moștenire. Neizbutind să se înțeleagă, cei doi frați voiau ca măritul Solomon să-i sfătuiască. Înțeleptul rege îi ascultă o vreme cum se ceartă. Frații înfuriați strigau unul la altul tot mai tare până când regele, într-un sfârșit, ridică mâna în semn de liniște. "O să vă spun o poveste", zise el, "o poveste de-acum multă, multă vreme, dinainte ca orașul să fie aici, dinainte ca vreun templu să se fi înălțat pe aceste meleaguri." Și iată ce poveste le-a spus Solomon..
Cu multă vreme în urmă, valea unei ape șerpuia pe pământul mărginit de dealuri la răsărit și de mare la apus, iar pe malurile înalte ale râului se legănau de o parte și de alta livezi de măslini și migdali. În capătul văii, unde albia se încolăcea pe după un deal pietros, se aflau două sate mici, fiecare dintre ele o grămăjoară de colibe albe din piatră și îngrădituri pentru animale. În lunca dintre cele două sate, pământul, numai bun, bogat și gras, era muncit de doi frați. Cel mare trăia în satul din luncă aflat în susul câmpului pe care-l împărțeau, iar cel mic în satul din vale, din josul câmpului. Între sate erau două cărări, una care mergea peste deal, iar alta care o lua prin vale, străbătând pământul celor doi frați.
Cu multă vreme în urmă, valea unei ape șerpuia pe pământul mărginit de dealuri la răsărit și de mare la apus, iar pe malurile înalte ale râului se legănau de o parte și de alta livezi de măslini și migdali. În capătul văii, unde albia se încolăcea pe după un deal pietros, se aflau două sate mici, fiecare dintre ele o grămăjoară de colibe albe din piatră și îngrădituri pentru animale. În lunca dintre cele două sate, pământul, numai bun, bogat și gras, era muncit de doi frați. Cel mare trăia în satul din luncă aflat în susul câmpului pe care-l împărțeau, iar cel mic în satul din vale, din josul câmpului. Între sate erau două cărări, una care mergea peste deal, iar alta care o lua prin vale, străbătând pământul celor doi frați.
34 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2007
52 people want to read
About the author
Chris Smith
15 books1 followerLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
I am Director and Co-founder of Storytelling Schools Ltd. We teach an educational method where telling a story from memory is the springboard for learning. Our system weaves oracy, creativity and literacy into a single, whole school approach. The system is currently used in hundreds or school across Britain and beyond. We are currently creating our first branch on the island of Malta. I love making learning a pleasure: stories and storytelling make a perfect hook, whatever the subject.
Our resources are also used in the home by parents and home educators to provide a story- and language-rich environment.
As a model for 21st Century Education our model combines the 4 Cs: communication, collaboration, creativity and critical thinking into a single approach. Checkout www.storytellingschools.com for more information.
Previously I have worked as head of UNICEF's Jerusalem programme, as an Oxfam project officer, and a community health researcher. I live in the UK near Bristol and divide my time between writing, teaching and managing an ancient oak woodland.
I am Director and Co-founder of Storytelling Schools Ltd. We teach an educational method where telling a story from memory is the springboard for learning. Our system weaves oracy, creativity and literacy into a single, whole school approach. The system is currently used in hundreds or school across Britain and beyond. We are currently creating our first branch on the island of Malta. I love making learning a pleasure: stories and storytelling make a perfect hook, whatever the subject.
Our resources are also used in the home by parents and home educators to provide a story- and language-rich environment.
As a model for 21st Century Education our model combines the 4 Cs: communication, collaboration, creativity and critical thinking into a single approach. Checkout www.storytellingschools.com for more information.
Previously I have worked as head of UNICEF's Jerusalem programme, as an Oxfam project officer, and a community health researcher. I live in the UK near Bristol and divide my time between writing, teaching and managing an ancient oak woodland.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
May 7, 2018
This story is another version of The Brothers, A Hebrew Legend. I am now fascinated by the idea that this story is a Hebrew midrash (Legends of the Jews), a Palestinian Arab fable and is in Indian Muslim culture as well. Jerusalem, which means Ir Shalom, City of Peace, is holy to three religions. This story makes it all the more poignant and is good for story telling in any combination of peoples. It has a good story line and beautiful, inclusive illustrations. The author, now living in Great Britain, lived and worked in Jerusalem as part of UNICEF and OxFam. Maybe this telling will help bring peace in a troubled part of the world. Hiney ma tov. How good and how pleasant it is for brothers (and sisters) to dwell together.
April 14, 2020
عنوان ترجمه فارسی: یک شهر دو برادر
August 3, 2025
Great story. Leaves you with a good feeling about sharing and loving.
October 18, 2022
Wonderful story told beautifully and supported with serene paintings. Makes one remember the magnificence of old tales.
March 24, 2019
As this book is titled, there were two brothers in one city. When it comes to inheriting the profit they argued who will inherit it. It was the reason why they ask for a piece of advice. It is always good to think about history when someone conflicts with each other. Because history has leading cases, people can consult and learn from that. Also, through this book, people can learn about the briefs of Jewish. Someplace indicate how that religion appeared such as Gaza. Even though most English readers are Christian, not Muslim or Jewish, they can definitely enjoy this book.
September 22, 2024
A story that is supposed to bring people of different faiths together should be more careful. As best as I can understand, this book, since it depicts people (and donkeys etc.) is "not haram." In any case, I did not especially care for the art. The message is beautiful, if simplistic. There is an author's note.
January 17, 2023
What a lovely fable about two brothers who both think about the other and want to give more than they receive. The message of love and sacrifice is one I treasure.
The illustrations are not my favorite or I would probably give this book 5 stars.
The illustrations are not my favorite or I would probably give this book 5 stars.
May 6, 2024
I know that everyone doesn't have the same religion so this book gives something different. Peace is something that everyone shares, and that is what this book is about. I would like to share that with my future classroom.
March 16, 2021
What a beautiful tale of how the city of Jerusalem came to be. I love the message of this tale too.
November 15, 2025
A wonderful story about love.
March 22, 2017
We read this book on the week we talked about Israel. This was a beautifully illustrated and written version of a well known Jewish folk tale that relates the story of two brothers, and ties it into the placement of the city of Jerusalem. The twins and I really enjoyed it.
October 16, 2020
Two brothers with good hearts. This ancient folktale about the beginnings of Jerusalem is an excellent read for children and adults of all ages.
October 10, 2016
This story has a folk tale feel to it that actual uses a story within a story to help solve the issue at hand. It is a story about sacrifice and brotherly love that warms the heart of reader.
April 5, 2016
***Spoiler Alert***
One City, Two Brothers by Chris Smith is an endearing midrash aggada that explains how we, the Jewish people, decided where to build our Temple in Yerushalaym (Jerusalem). As an aside, a midrash aggada can best be described as a form of storytelling that explores ethics and values in biblical texts. ("Aggada" literally means "story" or "telling" in Hebrew.) It can take any biblical word or verse and interpret it to answer a question or explain something in the text. Furthermore, the book shares a beautiful story of brotherly love and devotion. The two brothers farmed pieces of land in the valley between two villages, both lived in a different village. During a plentiful harvest, one brother decides to secretly give three additional bags of grain to his brother. When night fell, he followed through with his plan, but the plan doesn't go as he had expected. Somehow, when the one brother awoke, he had the same number of grain bags even though he had just delivered three bags to his brother. The next night, the one brother was determined to gift his brother three bags of grain so he once again journeyed to his brother's home and delivered the grain. However, the same thing happened. It is on the third night, during another journey to his brother's home, that the mystery reveals itself to the readers. Interested? Read this book to find out what happens; it is worth your time and attention.
This book is intended for six or seven year olds as per PJ Library, but I feel older children can benefit from reading this text. In my opinion, I think six and seven year olds would need a lot of scaffolding; a read aloud would be appropriate with that age group. When I read the book, I felt it would be appropriate for fourth graders and fifth graders even though it is a picture book. As an aside, the pictures are incredible; I am very impressed with the artist, Aurelia Fronty. The words used seem complex; for example, scythes, threshing, judgment, tiptoed, puzzled, impossible, determined and reflection. I think six and seven year olds would have issues if they tried to read this text as their selected independent reading book.
A teacher can do so much with a lesson or moral of the story. (1) One way I would engage the children is to encourage students to come up with a plan to do an "act of kindness" and record in a paragraph what they did, the response they got from who they helped, and how it made them feel. This paragraph would be the caption for an original drawing that depicted their chosen "act of kindness." Once the students were done with this assignment, I would collect all of the pictures with captions and make a booklet for all the children to look at and keep at home. (2) Another way a teacher could extend the students' learning in their classroom would be to teach about Tzedakah. "Tzedakah (from the Hebrew word meaning “justice” or “fairness”) concerns acts done for the benefit of others, typically those in need. According to Jewish tradition, the highest form of giving takes place when neither the giver nor the recipient knows the other’s identity" (PJ Library, 2007). Similar to the "act of kindness" idea, students could work in groups to come up with a social action plan. They can plan the steps they would have to take to achieve this goal, remaining anonymous if at all possible. This book is the epitome of Jewish values and ethics. I am so glad I stumbled across this book; to be honest, I received this book from PJ Library about a month or two ago and I never read it until now. I am extremely impressed with Smith's writing style and Fronty, the illustrator. If you haven't read this book, it is a must read.
One City, Two Brothers by Chris Smith is an endearing midrash aggada that explains how we, the Jewish people, decided where to build our Temple in Yerushalaym (Jerusalem). As an aside, a midrash aggada can best be described as a form of storytelling that explores ethics and values in biblical texts. ("Aggada" literally means "story" or "telling" in Hebrew.) It can take any biblical word or verse and interpret it to answer a question or explain something in the text. Furthermore, the book shares a beautiful story of brotherly love and devotion. The two brothers farmed pieces of land in the valley between two villages, both lived in a different village. During a plentiful harvest, one brother decides to secretly give three additional bags of grain to his brother. When night fell, he followed through with his plan, but the plan doesn't go as he had expected. Somehow, when the one brother awoke, he had the same number of grain bags even though he had just delivered three bags to his brother. The next night, the one brother was determined to gift his brother three bags of grain so he once again journeyed to his brother's home and delivered the grain. However, the same thing happened. It is on the third night, during another journey to his brother's home, that the mystery reveals itself to the readers. Interested? Read this book to find out what happens; it is worth your time and attention.
This book is intended for six or seven year olds as per PJ Library, but I feel older children can benefit from reading this text. In my opinion, I think six and seven year olds would need a lot of scaffolding; a read aloud would be appropriate with that age group. When I read the book, I felt it would be appropriate for fourth graders and fifth graders even though it is a picture book. As an aside, the pictures are incredible; I am very impressed with the artist, Aurelia Fronty. The words used seem complex; for example, scythes, threshing, judgment, tiptoed, puzzled, impossible, determined and reflection. I think six and seven year olds would have issues if they tried to read this text as their selected independent reading book.
A teacher can do so much with a lesson or moral of the story. (1) One way I would engage the children is to encourage students to come up with a plan to do an "act of kindness" and record in a paragraph what they did, the response they got from who they helped, and how it made them feel. This paragraph would be the caption for an original drawing that depicted their chosen "act of kindness." Once the students were done with this assignment, I would collect all of the pictures with captions and make a booklet for all the children to look at and keep at home. (2) Another way a teacher could extend the students' learning in their classroom would be to teach about Tzedakah. "Tzedakah (from the Hebrew word meaning “justice” or “fairness”) concerns acts done for the benefit of others, typically those in need. According to Jewish tradition, the highest form of giving takes place when neither the giver nor the recipient knows the other’s identity" (PJ Library, 2007). Similar to the "act of kindness" idea, students could work in groups to come up with a social action plan. They can plan the steps they would have to take to achieve this goal, remaining anonymous if at all possible. This book is the epitome of Jewish values and ethics. I am so glad I stumbled across this book; to be honest, I received this book from PJ Library about a month or two ago and I never read it until now. I am extremely impressed with Smith's writing style and Fronty, the illustrator. If you haven't read this book, it is a must read.
July 18, 2011
Illustrator: Aurélia Froth
Publisher: Barefoot Books
Interest Level: K-8
Reading Level: 2-3
This Middle Eastern folklore tells the tale that King Solomon told of two brothers farming the same land between the two villages where their respect families lived. After one great harvest, each brother decides to sneak some extra grain and leave it as a surprise for the other brother. However, since both do this without the other one knowing, they each are surprised to find the same number of bags of grain that they had the previous day. As I was reading this tale about sharing and kindness, it reminded me of one of the leveled readers in our Storytown series. I believe the two characters were squirrels and they had saved up nuts for the winter. Then each one decided to leave nuts at the door of the other one. It would be fun to share this older tale for students to make connections and then create new characters with a new object that is valued a lot and they decide to share. Students could brainstorm objects that are very important to them and then change the story to for a setting that would work in modern times. Apparently, there are no religious ties to the tale shared in One City, Two Brothers. The authors write a note at the end of the text that says this story has been passed on to both Jewish and Muslim children. The author, Chris Smith, shows cultural sensitivity by placing an asterisk after each reference to a prophet, which in Muslim tradition, the words “may peace be upon him” are traditionally spoken out of respect. Therefore, the reader could insert those words at the asterisk, if he/she chooses to include this blessing.
The illustrations are very inviting and cheerful for the reader. Also, the illustrations correlate highly with the text, which supports struggling readers/second language learners.
Publisher: Barefoot Books
Interest Level: K-8
Reading Level: 2-3
This Middle Eastern folklore tells the tale that King Solomon told of two brothers farming the same land between the two villages where their respect families lived. After one great harvest, each brother decides to sneak some extra grain and leave it as a surprise for the other brother. However, since both do this without the other one knowing, they each are surprised to find the same number of bags of grain that they had the previous day. As I was reading this tale about sharing and kindness, it reminded me of one of the leveled readers in our Storytown series. I believe the two characters were squirrels and they had saved up nuts for the winter. Then each one decided to leave nuts at the door of the other one. It would be fun to share this older tale for students to make connections and then create new characters with a new object that is valued a lot and they decide to share. Students could brainstorm objects that are very important to them and then change the story to for a setting that would work in modern times. Apparently, there are no religious ties to the tale shared in One City, Two Brothers. The authors write a note at the end of the text that says this story has been passed on to both Jewish and Muslim children. The author, Chris Smith, shows cultural sensitivity by placing an asterisk after each reference to a prophet, which in Muslim tradition, the words “may peace be upon him” are traditionally spoken out of respect. Therefore, the reader could insert those words at the asterisk, if he/she chooses to include this blessing.
The illustrations are very inviting and cheerful for the reader. Also, the illustrations correlate highly with the text, which supports struggling readers/second language learners.
November 20, 2008
Genre: Folklore Reading level: Ages 4-8
Chris Smith has taken on a great task as he retells this fable common to those of Christian, Jewish, and Muslim faiths. A dispute over land brings two brothers to the court of the great King Solomon. Instead of admonishing the lads, Solomon tells them a tale of the founding of the great holy place known as Jerusalem. The story is about two brothers who share their harvest equally, but begin to be concerned about the others’ welfare. After trying unsuccessfully to sneak extra portions of grain to the other, they eventually meet on a hill and discover their common goal. The love they have for each other brings lasting blessings upon the land. In a richly detailed source note, the author relates the history of the folktale, the city of Jerusalem, and the traditions of the various people who live there. Tiny asterisks in the story to allow Muslim readers to insert a respectful blessing upon mentioning the name of revered prophets. Aurelia Fronty’s rich acrylic illustrations include the architecture of the area, the historic dress of the inhabitants, and many symbols common to the culture. The geography, animals, and landscape are depicted from different perspectives that suggest the reader might do the same. Oh, to be able to bring King Solomon and the wisdom of this story to the current leaders of the violent, strife-fill land of Jerusalem. How lovely it would be for the warring factions to consider the needs of their enemies and come together to share their wealth!
Other stories about siblings:
The brothers Grimm, Raymond H. Miller (a biography of the famous brothers)
Fire on the mountain, Jane Kurtz
Zen shorts, Jon J. Muth
Chris Smith has taken on a great task as he retells this fable common to those of Christian, Jewish, and Muslim faiths. A dispute over land brings two brothers to the court of the great King Solomon. Instead of admonishing the lads, Solomon tells them a tale of the founding of the great holy place known as Jerusalem. The story is about two brothers who share their harvest equally, but begin to be concerned about the others’ welfare. After trying unsuccessfully to sneak extra portions of grain to the other, they eventually meet on a hill and discover their common goal. The love they have for each other brings lasting blessings upon the land. In a richly detailed source note, the author relates the history of the folktale, the city of Jerusalem, and the traditions of the various people who live there. Tiny asterisks in the story to allow Muslim readers to insert a respectful blessing upon mentioning the name of revered prophets. Aurelia Fronty’s rich acrylic illustrations include the architecture of the area, the historic dress of the inhabitants, and many symbols common to the culture. The geography, animals, and landscape are depicted from different perspectives that suggest the reader might do the same. Oh, to be able to bring King Solomon and the wisdom of this story to the current leaders of the violent, strife-fill land of Jerusalem. How lovely it would be for the warring factions to consider the needs of their enemies and come together to share their wealth!
Other stories about siblings:
The brothers Grimm, Raymond H. Miller (a biography of the famous brothers)
Fire on the mountain, Jane Kurtz
Zen shorts, Jon J. Muth
March 7, 2011
Published September 1st 2007 by Barefoot Books
Interest Level: 3rd-5th Grade
This is a great example of a traditional tale that explains how something came to be. The story begins with King Solomon explaining to two brothers how Jerusalem came to be, because of a land dispute. This book has gorgeous illustrations that show the middle eastern landscape in a vast and expansive way. The story focuses on the two brothers who share the crop harvest, but each becomes concerned about the other and try to shift part of their harvest to the other brother. This continues until the brothers realize what each other are doing and come together and their care for one another brings prosperity to the land. The illustrations bring an authenticity to the story with the dress, geography, buildings, and background that are used. This perspective of creating peace through understanding cannot be understated today, especially for this area of the world. This story is a touching tale of how two brother's generosity and willingness to care for one another create a great prosperity and blessing for the city of Jerusalem. Chris Smith, although he is an outsider, has a lot of experience with this area and Middle Eastern culture, which provides a great retelling of a traditional Middle Eastern tale that still has relevant themes that can be connected to students and the curriculum.
Interest Level: 3rd-5th Grade
This is a great example of a traditional tale that explains how something came to be. The story begins with King Solomon explaining to two brothers how Jerusalem came to be, because of a land dispute. This book has gorgeous illustrations that show the middle eastern landscape in a vast and expansive way. The story focuses on the two brothers who share the crop harvest, but each becomes concerned about the other and try to shift part of their harvest to the other brother. This continues until the brothers realize what each other are doing and come together and their care for one another brings prosperity to the land. The illustrations bring an authenticity to the story with the dress, geography, buildings, and background that are used. This perspective of creating peace through understanding cannot be understated today, especially for this area of the world. This story is a touching tale of how two brother's generosity and willingness to care for one another create a great prosperity and blessing for the city of Jerusalem. Chris Smith, although he is an outsider, has a lot of experience with this area and Middle Eastern culture, which provides a great retelling of a traditional Middle Eastern tale that still has relevant themes that can be connected to students and the curriculum.
October 20, 2011
Middle East Outreach Council 2007 Picture Book Award Winner
What a neat story. Based on folklore that can be traced to three major religious followers: Jews, Christians, and Muslims, this story tells the tale of how the city of Jerusalem was established. This is the simple tale of two brothers who both set out to help and surprise the other.
I love how this story brings to together the storytelling traditions and the legend of one of the most religious cities in the world. Done primarily in acrylic paint, the illustrations are both colorful and detailed.
This is a great story for not only religion, but history, working together, thinking of others and peace.
What a neat story. Based on folklore that can be traced to three major religious followers: Jews, Christians, and Muslims, this story tells the tale of how the city of Jerusalem was established. This is the simple tale of two brothers who both set out to help and surprise the other.
I love how this story brings to together the storytelling traditions and the legend of one of the most religious cities in the world. Done primarily in acrylic paint, the illustrations are both colorful and detailed.
This is a great story for not only religion, but history, working together, thinking of others and peace.
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April 1, 2011This book is told as advice that King Solomon gave to two bickering brothers. The advice the king gave them was to care for one another and to never be selfish. He told them a story that shows the rewards of helping each other out. This can also be taught as a part of a history lesson since King Solomon was a real king.
March 19, 2013
This was a beautiful story with beautiful illustrations. It is too bad that we cannot talk about religion in the classroom. If we could, I would definitely read this book among others to depict all religions. This was a good conflict-resolution book that I would suggest parents read to their children.
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March 9, 2016Upper Elementary - Two brothers were arguing over which brother should inherit the family land. Wise King Solomon told them a story of two brothers who shared the land and shared their crops. It inspired the fighting brothers so much, they decided to share the land. There is an afterward in the story telling about the city of Jerusalem.
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November 9, 2010I thought about how my brother and I don't think about each other a lot and about each other's needs. I thought about how the brothers had such a good relationship that they thought about each other before tehmselves.
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May 18, 2023Nice story and told respectfully in regards to the three major faiths who feel strongly about this place.
I wish the story wasn't so wordy though as it got confusing and I wasn't fond of the illustrations at all.
A story by Fawzia Gilani also has this story line nicely
I wish the story wasn't so wordy though as it got confusing and I wasn't fond of the illustrations at all.
A story by Fawzia Gilani also has this story line nicely
February 12, 2008
A beautifully illustrated and written book with a wonderful message of peace.
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November 9, 2010i love this book because it tells you what to brothers are going through after their died
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November 9, 2010I liked it! It was a good picturebook.
November 13, 2010
This was such a great book.It was very cute but taught a great lesson about sharing,caring,and compassion
February 12, 2011
This book grew on me. It is a beautiful telling of a Jewish story.
July 21, 2012
I had heard this folktale before, but it never grows old. A fine effort by both author and illustrator.
April 10, 2013
Great story to show what love of others - even in relationships between Palestinians and Israelites.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews