Sir Herman in the land of the Pharaohs. Read online



  Cairo 1924

  Pearl of Northern Africa, the enchanting city of Cairo lays by the Nile with the pyramids as a crown. She’s veiled with mystery and intrigue and

  with her, men of all kind try their luck for fame and wealth.

  So not unusual is to find in her streets, explorers and historians, adventurers and hunters all searching for relics of the glorious past, that shines throughout the world, the name of the country she’s queen .

 

  One of them is Sir Herman, the famous Rhodesian archaeologist,

  that in the effort to track a relic stolen from the city’s Egyptian museum, is bond in an adventure with a mysterious beauty ,

  called Arwa, the belly dancer!

 

  She knows who stole the relic and where it is hidden.

 

 

 

  In a letter, she gives him an engagement at the palace of prince Fareed her fiancé, and promise to help him get back the ancient artefact.

  Prince Fareed’ s palace by the river Nile

 

  Prince Fareed welcomes Sir Herman and seeing that Arwa is late, decides to entertain him with a walk through the beautiful palace garden.

  The nobleman is soon surprised to find out that his guest is besides, also a fine botanist.

  Help Sir Herman give the right name to the different flowers the prince shows him!

  1)

 

 

  A) Music box dancer

  B) Meadow saffron

  C) Dog Rose

  2)

  A) Marsh tea

  B) Flame Lily of Rhodesia

  C) Red Magnolia

 

  3)

  A) Snowball

  B) Lantana

  C) Impala lily

  4)

 

 

  A) Stonecrop

  B) Lady’s Smock

  C) Protea

  Unfortunately Arwa doesn’t show up and seeing it’s tea time, Sir Herman takes the decision to go to the Friday English Club.

 

  Friday English Club

  It was such a busy day, that Sir Herman

  decides to relax in front of a nice cup of tea,

  with a copy of The Times and a tray of delicious canapes,

  sandwiches spread with various savoury butters.

  Every dish has a secret ingredient, that helps it to be special.

  Guess the secret ingredient of the special butters of Sir Herman’s sandwiches.

  The first canape Sir Herman chooses is a toast spread with

  Anchovy butter .

  The special ingredient of this canape has a white and yellow side.

  Then it ‘s the turn of a Rock Lobster butter sandwich.

  The special ingredient of this canape is made in Worcestershire.

  A tongue butter sandwich.

  The special ingredient of this canape is

  pungent and can be black and white, as coloured.

  In the end a shrimp sandwich:

  The special ingredient of this canape is an acid condiment.

  Sir Herman is just there to leave for Cairo’s museum, when he runs into an old friend, the Jordanian ambassador Dhul Fiqar . The two men start to chat during which, the English noble man tells him all about his new adventure.

 

  The diplomat carefully listens, while having an Arab coffee with the favourite cakes of the Sultan.

 

 

  Guess the special secret ingredient of this delicious cakes:

  The secret ingredient is one of the most delicious gift form South America, there is a dark version and white version.

  The afternoon break comes to an end. The two friends cordially greet each other, and Sir Herman goes to work at the city’s Egyptian museum in the company of a famous seductress, Cleopatra.

  Cairo’s Egyptian museum

 

  For months, Sir Herman is working to set up a major expo on the famous Egyptian queen. The theme of the expo is:

  THE FABULOUS WORLD OF CLEOPATRA.

  Today he is engaged in the section

  called: CLEOPATRA’S BEAUTY SECRETS.

  Like all the Egyptians of her time, Cleopatra used eye shadow on her eyes. What colours did she use for her eye make up ?

  A) gray

  B) blue

  C) light green

  D) black

  E) violet

  The hairstyle Cleopatra made famous when she was at Rome?

  A) plaits

  B) ponytail

  C) fringe

  D) bun

  E) bob

  What beauty product was invented by Cleopatra?

  A) bubble bath from donkey milk

  B) lipstick

  C) wrinkle cream

  D) body lotion

  E) balm

  A young Bedouin finds Sir Herman busy with a bas - relief of the fabulous queen and gives him a note from Arwa, where she asks him to meet her near the great sphinx of Giza.

  Ten minutes to seven, Sir Herman decides to stop his work and follow the boy.

  While the daylight farewells the city of Cairo veiling it with its beautiful seductive colours, Sir Herman and his companion cross by camel the Giza plateau up to a Bedouin camp.

  The great sphinx of Giza

  When the two men arrive near the sphinx, they stop by the fire of the camp and sit waiting for Arwa.

  An old Bedouin starts singing softly, wile he pours some mint tea for Sir Herman and the boy. He sings about the ancient city of palms and its rebellious, beautiful queen that won, like Cleopatra, the heart of a Roman Emperor.

  Guess the name of this ancient city, of its beautiful queen and the Roman Emperor.

  ................

  ................

  ................

  In the meantime, a group of young boys joke in front of the sphinx ,placing riddles to each other .

  Guess the riddle:

  A) It ticks loud for a piece of music:

  B) When the love one is gone it covers:

  C) From school to the office they pierce and sew:

  D) It shoot and record:

  The time passes and no sign of Arwa. Sir Herman decide to go back to his hotel in Cairo. It’s supper time and he’s hungry.

  Shepheard’s Hotel

  Moorish dining room

  Sir Herman sit at his table, the one near the window, in the Moorish dining room. It is late but fortunately the chefs and Alì, the waiter that usually serves him, are waiting for him.

  They day was unsuccessful, but in way pleasant. The delicious supper will be a perfect ending, for such an erratic day.

  Alì brings him a plate of grilled lamb chops of the Raja with Pretoria sweetcorn cakes and a small bowl of Mediterranean carrots.

  Guess the 2 special secret ingredients of each plate of Sir Hermann.

  Lamb chops of the Raja.

 

  The 1°special secret ingredient of this plate is a famous eastern European spice.

  The 2° one was used from the ancient Egyptians, with balsams

  for embalming.

  Pretoria sweetcorn pan cakes.

&nb
sp; The 1°special secret ingredient of

  this plate is a cereal.

  The 2°one is a mixture that gives off and is a substitute.

  Mediterranean carrots

  The one secret ingredient of this dish has for name a colour.

  At the end of the dinner, the chef gifts Sir Herman with a delicious

  pudding called: Matilda

 

  The 1°secret ingredient is a nutritious fruit.

  The 2° one comes from sugar cane.

  The half moon and stars shine over Cairo, while a sweet breeze caress

  her buildings, they lights like little fairies greet Sir Hermann goodnight.

 

  The next morning just after breakfast Sir Hermann receives another message from Arwa, this time he has to take a cruise on the Nile and go to Luxor, there he will get back the relic.

  Cruise on the Nile

 

  Sir Herman leaves for Luxor, but this time he’s not alone his friend the Ambassador is with him.

  The Steamboat starts moving and goes up the great river, leaving slowly behind Cairo with its city buildings for a landscape of rural homes, fruit and vegetable gardens and then the desert.

  Together, Dhul Fiqar and Sir Herman admire the beautiful landscape, sightseeing some of the wild life that lives near the river.

  Help them give the right names to the animals they see.

  1)

  A)Bee eater

  B)Chaffinch

  C)Hoopoe

  D)Fulmar

 

  2)

  A)Sea swallow

  B) Snipe

  C) Stilt

  D) Kingfisher

 

 

  3)

  A) Fennec

  B) Blond fox

  C) Water fox

  D) Brimstone

  4)

  A)Peregrine falcon

  B)Kite

  C)Merlin

  D)Goshawk

 

 

 

  During the trip the Ambassador tells Sir Herman, how he was impressed by his last journey to China and how amazed he was from Confucius.

  Complete with the missing word these famous phrases of and about the great Chinese master.

  1) Only those with humanity can love and .... men.

  2)Four were the teaching of the master: culture, morality, loyalty and ....

  3)Human virtues: to be respectful at home, reverent in dealing business and in relationships with others .....

  4) It is hard to be poor and have no .... , as it is easy to be rich and be proud.

  Dining room of The Queen of the Nile

  A young waiter inform Sir Herman and the ambassador, that lunch will be served in a few minutes. They reach the dining room of the Queen of the Nile and decide to look at the menu.

  The two gentlemen both agree, seeing they are on a cruise on the Nile that it is a perfect occasion to eat fish, this is what they order: Sir Herman a Stanley’s Lobster and a Surprise Pie, while the ambassador, Four Season Mullets and Saladino’s quails .

  Guess the special secret ingredients of the menu of the gentlemen.

  Stanley’s Lobster.

  The secret ingredient of this

  Dish has the shape of a ellipse pointed at one end.

  Four Season’s Mullets,

  This dish has two special secret ingredients. The 1°one is a species of onion. The 2° one is an infusion in water.

  Saladino’s quails

  The 1° secret ingredient of this dish is a very ancient fruit.

 

 

  The 2° one’s name means healthy.

  Surprise Pie

 

  The 1° secret ingredient is fresh and green.

  The 2°one was Roman emperor Claudius favourite.

  Luxor

 

  The siren of the Queen of the Nile announces the arrival to Luxor, and Sir Hermann and the Ambassador get off with many tourists and go to the magnificent archaeological site.

  The African afternoon sun is so hot and implacable, but fortunately everybody’s heads, Egyptians and foreigners, are covered.

  Guess the names of the different Muslim veils and western hats.

  1)

  A) Chador

  B) Burka

  C) Khimar

  2)

  A)Boater hat

  B)Venice hat

  C)French hat

  3)

  A) Explorer helmet

  B) Stanley helmet

  C) Pith helmet

  4)

  A)Shayla

  B)Fatma

  C)Hijab

  5)

  A) Fathi

  B) Smagh

  C) Gamal

  6)

  A)Cartwheel hat

  B)Wide brim

  C)Fedora

  7)

 

 

  A) Afaf

  B) Hubah

  C) Niqab

 

  8)

 

 

 

  A) Belfry

  B) Macy

  C) Panama

  9)

 

  A) Jal

  B) Turban

  C) Katib

  10)

 

  A)Tarnish

  B)Cloche

  C) Beanie

  Wile waiting to receive news from Arwa, the two men walk slowly through

  the greatest open air museum of the world. Everywhere monuments, temples and tombs, magnificent memories of the great Egyptian history.

 

  They are captured from the beautiful landscape, and Sir Herman deciphers to Dhul Fiqar some of the hieroglyphs on the monuments.