Although Al-Zankaluni warns that many animals, such as cats, dogs and birds, can carry germs, he is not without some admiration for these creatures. When the owner began to remove the stash from its hiding place, the dog began bury his leftovers in a secret place in the garden outside of the owner's line of sight. When the dog spotted it, he tried to chase away the snake for fear that it would harm his master. Unable to succeed in this manner, he took hold of the head of the snake and held on to it with his mouth until both animals died, while the life of the dog's owner was saved. As a final note, and one of inspiration to us all, Al-Zankaluni advises his readers to laugh as much as possible.
Laughter brings infinite good at no cost.
The author is a professor of history and head of Al-Ahram History Studies Centre.