The Stranger in the Park

It was evening, and Lahore's famous Jam-e-Shirin Park was full of children's laughter and bustle. Golden sunlight lay across the green grass, and the happy noise of children around the swings was lovely to hear.

Abdullah and Khalid, who were now a little older and wiser, were busy playing football in one corner of the park. Abdullah's little brother Umar had come along too. He was only about three and a half or four years old. Umar held a small plastic car in his tiny hands and was making tracks in the sand, lost in his own game.

The two older boys were busy with their game, but they kept one eye on Umar the whole time.

Just then, a man nobody knew walked slowly towards them from the other end of the park. He had a strange smile on his face. It looked very friendly, but there was something in his eyes that didn't feel right. He was acting as if he knew the children very well.

The stranger looked around. When he saw that Abdullah and Khalid were caught up in their game for a moment, and that Umar was playing alone a little way off, he went straight to Umar.

The man bent down close to Umar and said, in a sweet, smiling voice, "Hello, my dear Umar! How are you? You're such a lovely boy. Look, over there by the swings there are lots of fun toys, and a great big slide too! Come with me, I'll take you there and we'll have so much fun playing. Will you come with me?"

Umar looked up at the stranger with his big, innocent eyes. He was little, so he didn't understand who this man was. He was just about to get up and go with him when Khalid spotted the stranger.

Khalid's heart jumped. He nudged Abdullah at once and said, "Abdullah! Look, there's a stranger standing next to Umar, and he's trying to take him away!"

Abdullah turned around, and his sharp mind rang the alarm bell straight away. He didn't hesitate for a second. Both boys shouted as loudly as they could: "Umar! Come here right now! Run to us, quickly!"

When Umar heard Abdullah and Khalid's firm, serious voices, he left the stranger and ran to them in a fright, and he wrapped himself around Abdullah's leg.

As soon as Abdullah and Khalid called out to Umar and rushed towards him, the stranger panicked. He realised that this child was not alone, and that the boys with him were alert. He quickly stepped back, muttered something under his breath, and hurried away into the crowd.

Abdullah bent down and hugged little Umar. His own heart was still racing. He explained gently, but very seriously, "Umar, listen to me and always remember this! If anyone at all says to you, 'Come with me, I'll give you chocolate,' or 'I'll take you to play in another part of the park,' never believe a stranger and never go with them! It can be very dangerous. Someone could hurt you."

Khalid added, "And Umar, whenever a stranger calls you, run straight to us, or go to Ammi or Abba. Even if it's someone you know, first go and ask Ammi or Abba for permission. Only go if they say yes, you can go. Otherwise, never go with anyone!"

Umar nodded his little head and said wisely, "Bhaiya, I understand. I will never go with a stranger, and if anything happens I'll tell you and Ammi straight away!"

Abdullah and Khalid hugged Umar once more. From that evening on, they took even better care of him, and what happened in the park became a lesson they would all remember forever.