I like courage and boldness in boys, and politeness and modesty in girls. Because a boy's courage is the strength of all his morals, and because a girl's modesty is her beauty, which is the only beauty she has, I dedicate this novel to the boys and girls of Egypt. Let both of their teams benefit from the quality I like to see in them; And let them put their future life on the basis of virtue, as Paul and Virginie put it.
Mustafa Lotfi Al-Manfaluti