This Book

Ittri returned to his village to find it under siege by armed knights with rifles and swords, sent by Sultan Hassan I to force the inhabitants to pay their taxes. Faced with this serious situation, the village representatives resorted to trickery and deception. They welcomed the soldiers and invited them to dinner, intending for each villager to host ten soldiers. The soldiers accepted the invitation, disarming themselves and tying up their horses outside the homes where they would dine and stay for the night. After resting, they were suddenly ambushed by armed youths hiding throughout the village. Most of the soldiers were overpowered, with only a few managing to escape.

On the day the news reached the sultan, he dispatched troops to take revenge on the villagers unaware that on the night of the event, they had loaded their children and belongings onto their animals, herded their sheep and cattle, and ascended to the safety of the high peaks.

Ittri lamented the villagers' violent actions, warning them they would remain besieged in the mountains as long as the Sultan lived, due to the blood they had shed. During this time, the villagers relied on their livestock for sustenance, and would occasionally venture back under cover of darkness to retrieve stored grains.