There Are Rivers in the Sky

by Elif Shafak

“Sometimes kindness comes from the least-expected places,” says Grandma, as she sifts flour into a bowl. “Have I told you the story of Ibrahim?” “I don’t think so.” “Well, Ibrahim was God’s beloved. That is why Nemrud hated him. He said to his henchmen: build a fire, cast Ibrahim into it. Turn him into charcoal, burn him to cinders.” “Oh, he is cruel!” “He was cruel. But it’s also important to ask how everyone else behaved when calamity struck. Many just watched. Some even rushed to fetch wood, to add to the blaze. The lizard, for instance. Only a few good souls tried to save Ibrahim—like the frog. It filled its mouth with water and spat it into the flames, and kept doing this, until it was exhausted. The lizard laughed and said, ‘You are tiny, the fire is massive, what do you think you’ll achieve with your itty-bitty water?’ But the frog said, ‘If I were to do nothing, would I be any different from you?’ Now that was a wise frog. We must always listen to our conscience and help those in need. We don’t throw gasoline on a burning man. We carry him water.” Narin contemplates. “So when did this happen?” “In olden times,” replies Grandma, as she cracks two eggs into the center of the pile of flour. “You always say that!” “Because that’s where stories live—in olden times.”