Speak First and Lose is a classic tale that helps children appreciate how the determination to be right can land people in all sorts of trouble. The story is brought to life with lovely illustrations - perfect to engage young minds whilst encouraging creative thinking.

A newly-married couple start to argue about who should get up and close the front door. They agree to a contest to settle their dispute: the first to speak loses.

Both of them fold their arms and fall silent. Even when thieves walk in through the wide-open door to steal their valuables, neither of them says so much as one word! Before long, the couple are hauled before the local judge.

His Honour demands the newlyweds explain their silence. But both husband and wife still refuse to speak.

Can either of them really come out a winner? The late Afghan author, Idries Shah, published hundreds of Sufi teaching-stories drawn from the rich cultural heritage of Eastern lands, including his own home, Afghanistan. Fun and entertaining, yet infused with wisdom, Shah's children's books enshrine stories which increase our understanding, flexibility, and breadth of vision.

'Shah's versatile and multilayered tales provoke fresh insight and more flexible thought in children. ' Bookbird: A Journal of International Children's Literature 'These enchanting stories.

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have a richness and depth not often encountered in children's literature, and their effect on minds young and old can be almost magical. ' Multicultural Perspectives: An Official Journal of the National Association for Multicultural Education (USA).