Plutarch says that Alexander the Great waited a long time for Diogenes himself to come to him to express his respect, but the philosopher spent his time calmly at home. Then Alexander himself decided to visit him. He found Diogenes in Crania (in a gymnasium near Corinth) while he was basking in the sun.

Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, was a simple and beautiful man. He had only one student, whom he never taught anything. He simply sang with inspiration, and the student sang along with him and played a simple musical instrument.

They tell this story. One day Nanak went to travel. He walked around Arabia and reached Mecca, where the Muslim shrine - the black stone of the Kaaba - is kept. It was too late. Nanak prayed and lay down to rest. But the guardians of the shrine approached him and said that such behavior seemed incredible to them:

During the fasting month of Ramadan, the mullah usually read a sermon to the parishioners after general prayer. He spoke excitedly about the community of believers and the duties of a Muslim. During this month, one person sat in these meetings of believers every day and cried. I cried throughout the entire sermon. The mullah thought to himself: “Surely my speech touches the depths of this man’s soul. He sheds tears of tenderness.”

Two young men learned about a Great Sage living in their area. They found him and asked him to become a Disciple. The sage agreed. Then they asked Him:

— What did you do before you became Enlightened?

“I carried water to His Master,” answered the Sage.

“Then take a sip from this stream and describe to me the taste of the water.” - the teacher told him.
“I have already heard and understand this Truth,” said the Seeker, a little disappointed.
- Tell me, what do you understand? - asked the Teacher.

Once upon a time there lived in an Indian kingdom-state an old monarch who spent his whole life deciding for himself one purely Eastern question: what is the essence of power? And he decided to finally find himself strong man in his domain to find out from him what the essence of power is. As a reward for this hero, the Indian king appointed a horse from his stables, and at the request of the winner of the announced competition: if he wants a white one, he will receive a white horse; if he wants a black one, he will receive a black horse as a gift. To solve this difficult problem associated with the eternal problem of choice, he gathered the most wise people his kingdom and sent them with an inspection to cities and villages.

The genre of parables has a venerable age. The wisdom of the generations that inhabited the Earth has long been preserved in edifying stories. Eastern parables marked by their unique flavor. Their heroes are gods, rulers, wandering monks, in a word, bearers of the truth about the world. On the pages of this book they address readers with a word about love, kindness, happiness and the benefits of science. They warn against plunging into the abyss of vices, such as slander, greed, and human stupidity. The parables and legends included in the book that existed in the Arab, Chinese and Indian worlds are presented in the presentation of the brilliant Russian feuilletonist Vlas Doroshevich.

• Arabic parables and legends

A series: Great Parables

* * *

by liters company.

© Design. AST Publishing House LLC, 2017

Arabic parables and legends

Among the Arabs, as you know, my friend, everything is Arabic. In the Arab State Duma - they call it Dum-Dum - they decided to finally start making laws.

Returning from their places, from their camps, the selected Arabs shared their impressions. One Arab said:

“It seems the population is not particularly happy with us.” Someone hinted at this to me. Called us quitters.

Others agreed.

– And I had to hear hints. They call us parasites.

- They called me a slacker.

“And they hit me with a stone.”

And they decided to take up laws.

“We must immediately pass such a law so that its truth is evident to everyone.”

- And so that he does not stir up any controversy.

- So that everyone agrees with him.

- And so that it does not bring loss to anyone.

- He will be wise and sweet to everyone!

The chosen Arabs thought and came up with:

- Let's make a law that two and two make four.

- The truth!

- And it’s not offensive to anyone.

Someone objected:

“But everyone already knows that.”

He was reasonably answered:

“Everyone knows that you can’t steal.” However, the law says this.

And the Arab elect, having gathered in a solemn assembly, decreed:

- It is declared by law, ignorance of which no one can make an excuse, that always and under all circumstances two and two equals four.

Having learned about this, the viziers - that, my friend, are the name of the Arab ministers - became very worried. And they went to the Grand Vizier, who was as wise as a gray haired man.

They bowed and said:

-Have you heard that the children of misfortune, the chosen Arabs, have begun to make laws?

The Grand Vizier stroked his gray beard and said:

- I stay.

- That they have already passed a law: two and two are four?

The Grand Vizier replied:

- I stay.

- Yes, but they will reach Allah knows what. They will pass a law so that it will be light during the day and dark at night. So that the water is wet and the sand is dry. And the inhabitants will be sure that it is light during the day not because the sun is shining, but because the children of misfortune, the chosen Arabs, decreed so. And that the water is wet and the sand is dry not because Allah created it so, but because they decreed so. People will believe in the wisdom and omnipotence of the chosen Arabs. And they will think about themselves, Allah knows what!

The Grand Vizier said calmly:

“Whether Dum-Dum makes laws or not, I will remain.” If it exists, I will remain, and if it does not exist, I will also remain. Whether twice two is four, or one, or a hundred, no matter what happens, I will stay, stay, and stay as long as Allah wants me to stay.

So spoke his wisdom.

Wisdom is dressed in calm, like a mullah in a white turban. And the excited viziers went to the meeting of sheikhs... This is something like their State Council, my friend. They went to the meeting of sheikhs and said:

– This cannot be left like this. It is impossible for the chosen Arabs to take away such power in the country. And you must take action.

And a great meeting of sheikhs gathered, with the participation of viziers.

The first among the sheikhs, their chairman, stood up, bowed to no one out of importance and said:

- Nice and wise sheikhs. The children of misfortune, the chosen Arabs, did what the most skillful conspirators, the most malicious troublemakers, the greatest robbers and the most vile swindlers did: they declared that two and two make four. Thus, they forced the very truth to serve their vile purposes. Their calculation is clear to our wisdom. They want to accustom the stupid population to the idea that the truth itself speaks through their mouths. And then, no matter what law they issue, the stupid population will consider everything as truth: “after all, this was decided by the elected Arabs, who said that two and two make four.” To crush this evil plan and discourage them from legislating, we must repeal their law. But how to do this when two and two are really four?!

The sheikhs were silent, raising their beards, and finally turned to the old sheikh, the former grand vizier, the sage, and said:

- You are the father of misfortune.

That, my friend, is what the Arabs call a constitution.

– The doctor who made the cut must be able to heal it. Let your wisdom open its mouth. You were in charge of the treasury, compiled lists of income and expenses, and lived your whole life among numbers. Tell us if there is any way out of the hopeless situation. Does two and two always make four?

The sage, the former grand vizier, the father of misfortune, stood up, bowed and said:

– I knew you would ask me. Because, although they call me the father of misfortune, despite all the dislike towards me, they always ask me in difficult moments. So a person who pulls teeth gives no one any pleasure. But when nothing helps with toothache, they send for him. On the way from the warm shore where I lived, contemplating how the purple sun plunged into the azure sea, with its stripes of gold, I remembered all the reports and paintings that I had compiled, and found that two times two could be anything. Depending on need. And four, and more, and less. There were reports and paintings where two and two equaled fifteen, but there were also where two and two equaled three. Looking at what needed to be proven. Less often than two and two was four. At least, I don’t remember such a case. This is what the experience of life, the father of wisdom, says.

Listening to him, the viziers were delighted, and the sheikhs were in despair and asked:

- What is arithmetic, after all? Science or art?

The old sheikh, the former grand vizier, the father of misfortune, thought, became embarrassed and said:

- Art!

Then the sheikhs, in despair, turned to the vizier, who was in charge of learning in the country, and asked:

– In your position, you constantly deal with scientists. Tell us, Vizier, what are they saying?

The vizier stood up, bowed, smiled and said:

- They say: “Whatever you want.” Knowing that your question would not escape me, I turned to those scientists who remained with me and asked them: “What is two times two?” They bowed and answered: “As much as you order.” So, no matter how much I asked them, I could not get another answer other than: “as you please” and “as you order.” Arithmetic in my schools has been replaced by obedience, just like other subjects.

The sheikhs fell into deep grief. And they exclaimed:

“This is an honor, O vizier, in charge of learning, both to those scholars who remain with you and to your ability to choose.” Perhaps such scientists will lead youth to the right path, but they will not lead us out of our difficulties.

And the sheikhs turned to Sheikh-ul-Islam.

– Due to your duties, you always deal with mullahs and are close to divine truths. Tell us the truth. Is two and two always four?

Sheikh-ul-Islam stood up, bowed to all sides and said:

- Respectable, noble sheikhs, whose wisdom is covered with gray hair, like a dead man with a silver covering. Live and learn. Two brothers lived in the city of Baghdad. God-fearing people, but people. And they each had a concubine. On the same day, the brothers, who acted in harmony with each other in everything, took concubines for themselves, and on the same day the concubines conceived from them. And when the time for childbirth approached, the brothers said to themselves: “We want our children to be born not from concubines, but from our legitimate wives.” And they called the mullah to bless their two marriages. The mullah rejoiced in his heart at such a pious decision of the brothers, blessed them and said: “I crown your two unions. Now there will be one family of four.” But the minute he said this, both newlyweds were delivered of their children. And twice two became six. The family began to consist of six people. This is what happened in the city of Baghdad, and what I know. And Allah knows more than me.

The sheikhs listened with delight to this incident from life, and the vizier in charge of the country’s trade stood up and said:

– However, twice two is not always six. This is what happened in the glorious city of Damascus. One man, foreseeing the need for small coins, went to the robber...

The Arabs, my friend, do not yet have the word “banker”. And they simply say “robber” in the old way.

“I went, I say, to the robber and exchanged two gold piastres for silver piastres with him.” The robber took the exchange and gave the man one and a half gold pieces of silver. But it didn’t happen as the man expected, and he didn’t see the need for a small silver coin. Then he went to another robber and asked him to exchange silver for gold. The second robber took the same amount for the exchange and gave the man one gold piece. Thus, two gold pieces exchanged twice turned into one. And twice two turned out to be one. This is what happened in Damascus and what happens, sheikhs, everywhere.

The sheikhs, listening to this, came to indescribable delight:

– This is what life teaches. Real life. And not some chosen Arabs, children of misfortune.

They thought and decided:

“The chosen Arabs said that two and two make four.” But life refutes them. You can't make laws that don't matter. Sheikh-ul-Islam says that twice two makes six, and the vizier in charge of trade indicated that twice two makes one. In order to maintain complete independence, the meeting of sheikhs decides that two and two are five.

And they approved the law established by the chosen Arabs.

- Let them not say that we do not approve their laws. And they only changed one word. Instead of "four" they put "five".

The law read like this:

- It is declared by law, ignorance of which no one can make an excuse, that always and under all circumstances two plus two equals five.

The case was submitted to the conciliation commission. Everywhere, my friend, where there is “misfortune”, there are conciliation commissions.

A violent dispute arose there. Representatives of the Sheikh Council said:

– Aren’t you ashamed to argue over one word? In the entire law, only one word has been changed for you, and you are making such a fuss. Shame on you!

And the representatives of the elected Arabs said:

“We cannot return to our Arabs without victory!”

They argued for a long time.

And finally, the representatives of the elected Arabs decisively announced:

“Either you give in, or we leave!”

Representatives of the council of sheikhs consulted among themselves and said:

- Fine. We will make a concession to you. You say four, we say five. Let it not be offensive to anyone. Neither your way, nor ours. We give up half. Let two and two be four and a half.

Representatives of the elected Arabs consulted among themselves:

“Still, some law is better than no law.”

– Still, we forced them to make a concession.

- You won’t get any more.

And they announced:

- Fine. We agree.

And the conciliation commission from the elected Arabs and the council of sheikhs announced:

- It is declared by law, ignorance of which no one can make an excuse, that always and under all circumstances, two and two will be four and a half.

This was announced through heralds in all bazaars. And everyone was delighted.

The viziers were delighted:

– They gave a lesson to the chosen Arabs, so that even two times two is four should be proclaimed with caution.

The sheikhs were delighted:

– It didn’t work out their way!

The selected Arabs were delighted:

– Still, the council of sheikhs was forced to make concessions.

Everyone congratulated themselves on their victory.

What about the country? The country was in the greatest delight. Even the chickens were having fun.

There are such and such, my friend, in the world of Arabian fairy tales.

Tale of a Tale

One day

Allah Akbar! By creating a woman, you have created a fantasy.

She said to herself:

- Why not? There are many houris in the prophet’s paradise, many beauties in the earthly paradise, in the caliph’s harem. In the gardens of the prophet I would not be the last of the houris; among the wives of the padishah I would perhaps be the first of the wives, and among the odalisques - the first of his odalisques. Where the corals are brighter than my lips, and their breath is like the air of midday. My legs are slender, and my breasts are like two lilies, lilies with spots of blood on them. Happy is he who lays his head on my chest. He will have wonderful dreams. Like the moon on the first day of the full moon, my face is bright. My eyes burn like black diamonds, and whoever, in a moment of passion, looks into them closely, no matter how great he may be! – he will see himself so small in them, so small that he will laugh. Allah created me in a moment of joy, and all of me is a song to my creator.

I took it and went. Dressed only in her beauty.

On the threshold of the palace, a guard stopped her in horror.

– What do you want here, woman who forgot to wear more than just a veil!

“I want to see the glorious and powerful Sultan Harun al-Rashid, padishah and caliph, our great ruler. May Allah alone be the ruler on earth.

– Let the will of Allah be done in everything. What is your name? Shamelessness?

– My name: Truth. I'm not angry with you, warrior. Truth is often mistaken for shamelessness, just as lies are mistaken for shame. Go and report me.

In the Caliph's palace, everyone became excited when they learned that the Truth had arrived.

– Her arrival often means departure for many! – Grand Vizier Jiaffar said thoughtfully.

And all the viziers sensed danger.

- But she is a woman! - said Giaffar. – It is customary among us that every business is carried out by someone who understands nothing about it. And that is why eunuchs are in charge of women.

He turned to the great eunuch. Guardian of peace, honor and happiness of the padishah. And he said to him:

- The greatest of eunuchs! There came a woman relying on her beauty. Delete her. Remembering, however, that all this takes place in the palace. Remove it like a courtier. So that everything is beautiful and decent.

The great eunuch came out onto the porch and looked at the naked woman with dead eyes.

- Do you want to see the caliph? But the Caliph should not see you like this.

- Why?

- This is how they come into this world. In this form they leave it. But you can’t walk around like this in this world.

– Truth is only good when it is the naked truth.

– Your words sound correct, like the law. But the padishah is above the law. And the padishah will not see you like this!

“This is how Allah created me.” Beware, eunuch, of condemning or blaming. Condemnation would be madness, censure would be insolence.

– I do not dare to condemn or blame what Allah has created. But Allah created potatoes raw. However, before the potatoes are eaten, they are boiled. Allah created lamb meat full of blood. But to eat lamb meat, it is first fried. Allah created rice as hard as bone. And to eat rice, people boil it and sprinkle it with saffron. What would they say about a person who would eat raw potatoes, raw lamb meat and gnaw raw rice, saying: “This is how Allah created them!” So is a woman. In order to be undressed, she must first be dressed.

- Potatoes, lamb, rice! – Truth exclaimed indignantly. - And apples, and pears, fragrant melons? Are they boiled too, eunuch, before they are eaten?

The eunuch smiled the way eunuchs and toads smile.

- The rind is cut off from the melon. Apples and pears are skinned. If you want us to do the same with you...

Truth hurried away.

– Who did you talk to this morning, at the entrance to the palace and, it seems, you spoke sternly? – Harun al-Rashid asked the guardian of his peace, honor and happiness. “And why was there such turmoil in the palace?”

“Some woman, so shameless that she wants to walk the way Allah created her, wanted to see you!” - answered the great eunuch.

– Pain will give birth to fear, and fear will give birth to shame! - said the Caliph. “If this woman is shameless, deal with her according to the law!”

“We carry out your will before it is spoken!” - said the Grand Vizier Giaffar, kissing the ground at the feet of the ruler. “That’s what they did to the woman!”

And the Sultan, looking at him with favor, said:

- Allah Akbar!

Allah Akbar! By creating woman, you created stubbornness.

It occurred to Truth to go to the palace. To the palace of Harun al-Rashid himself.

Truth put on a hair shirt, girded herself with a rope, took a staff in her hand and again came to the palace.

- I am Reproof! – she said sternly to the guard. “In the name of Allah, I demand that I be allowed to see the Caliph.”

And the guard was horrified - guards are always horrified when a stranger approaches the caliph's palace - the guard ran in horror to the grand vizier.

- That woman again! - he said. “She is covered with a hair shirt and calls herself Revelation.” But I saw in her eyes that she was the Truth.

The viziers became agitated.

- What disrespect for the Sultan - to go against our will!

And Jiaffar said:

- Reproof? This concerns the Grand Mufti.

He called the Grand Mufti and bowed to him:

- May your righteousness save us! Act piously and courtly.

The Grand Mufti came out to the woman, bowed to the ground and said:

-Are you Reproof? May your every step on earth be blessed. When the muezzin from the minaret sings the glory of Allah and the faithful gather in the mosque for prayer, come. I bow to you with the sheikh’s chair decorated with carvings and mother-of-pearl. Convict the faithful! Your place is in the mosque.

- I want to see the Caliph!

- My child! The state is a mighty tree whose roots are deeply buried in the earth. The people are the leaves that cover the tree, and the padishah is the flower that blooms on this tree. And the roots, and the tree, and the leaves - everything for this flower to bloom magnificently. And it smelled and decorated the tree. This is how Allah created it! This is how Allah wants it! Your words, words of Reproof, are truly living water. May every dewdrop of this water be blessed! But where have you heard, child, that the flower itself should be watered? Water the roots. Water the roots so that the flower blooms more luxuriantly. Water the roots, my child. Go from here in peace, your place is in the mosque. Among ordinary believers. Reprove there!

And with tears of anger in her eyes, Truth left the affectionate and soft mufti.

And Harun al-Rashid asked that day:

“This morning, at the entrance to my palace, you spoke to someone, Grand Mufti, and spoke meekly and kindly, as always, but for some reason there was alarm in the palace at that time?” Why?

The mufti kissed the ground at the feet of the padishah and replied:

“Everyone was worried, but I spoke meekly and kindly, because she was crazy.” She came in a hair shirt and wanted you to wear a hair shirt too. It's funny to even think about it! Is it worth being the ruler of Baghdad and Damascus, Beirut and Belbek, to walk around in hair shirt! This would mean being ungrateful to Allah for his gifts. Such thoughts can only come to the insane.

“You’re right,” said the Caliph, “if this woman is mad, we must treat her with pity, but make sure that she cannot harm anyone.”

“Your words, padishah, serve as praise for us, your servants.” This is what we did with the woman! - said Giaffar.

And Harun al-Rashid looked with gratitude at the sky, which sent him such servants:

- Allah Akbar!

Allah Akbar! By creating woman, you created cunning.

It occurred to Truth to go to the palace. To the palace of Harun al-Rashid himself.

Truth ordered to get herself colorful shawls from India, transparent silk from Brussa, and gold-woven fabrics from Smyrna. From the bottom of the sea she got herself some yellow amber. I covered myself with the feathers of birds so small that they looked like golden flies and were afraid of spiders. She adorned herself with diamonds that looked like large tears, rubies that looked like drops of blood, pink pearls that looked like kisses on her body, and sapphires that looked like pieces of the sky.

And, telling miracles about all these wonderful things, cheerful, joyful, with sparkling eyes, surrounded by a countless crowd who listened to her with greed, delight, with bated breath, she approached the palace.

- I am a Fairy Tale. I am a Fairy Tale, colorful like a Persian carpet, like spring meadows, like an Indian shawl. Listen, listen to the ringing of my wrists and the bracelets on my arms and legs. They ring in the same way as the golden bells ring on the porcelain towers of the Chinese Bogdykhan. I'll tell you about it. Look at these diamonds, they look like the tears that a beautiful princess shed when her boyfriend went to the ends of the world for fame and gifts for her. I will tell you about the most beautiful princess in the world. I will tell you about a lover who left the same kiss marks on his sweetheart’s chest as this pink pearl. And at this time her eyes became matte with passion, large and black, like the night or these black pearls. I'll tell you about their caresses. About their caresses that night when the sky was blue, like this sapphire, and the stars shone like this diamond lace. I want to see the padishah, may Allah send him as many decades of life as there are letters in his name, and double their number and double it again, because there is no end or limit to Allah’s generosity. I want to see the padishah to tell him about the forests of palm trees, curled with vines, where these birds fly, like golden flies, about the lions of the Abyssinian Negus, about the elephants of the Rajah of Jeipur, about the beauty of the Taj Magal, about the pearls of the ruler of Nepal. I am a Fairy Tale, I am a motley Fairy Tale.

And having listened to her stories, the guard forgot about reporting her to the viziers. But the Fairy Tale was already seen from the windows of the palace.

- There's a fairy tale there! There's a colorful fairy tale!

And Giaffar, the Grand Vizier, said, stroking his beard and smiling:

– Does she want to see the padishah? Let her go! Should we be afraid of fiction? Anyone who makes knives is not afraid of knives.

And Harun al-Rashid himself, hearing the cheerful noise, asked:

- What's there? In front of the palace and in the palace? What kind of talk? What's that noise?

- It's a Fairy Tale! A fairy tale dressed up in miracles! Everyone in Baghdad is listening to it now, everyone in Baghdad, young and old, and they can’t stop listening. She has come to you, lord!

- May Allah be one ruler! And I want to hear what each of my subjects hears. Let her go!

And all the carved, ivory, and mother-of-pearl doors opened before the Fairy Tale.

And among the bows of the courtiers and the prostrate slaves, the Tale passed to the Caliph Harun al-Rashid. He greeted her with a gentle smile. And the Truth in the form of a Fairy Tale appeared before the Caliph.

He told her, smiling tenderly:

- Speak, my child, I am listening to you.

Allah Akbar! You created the Truth. It occurred to Truth to go to the palace. To the palace of Harun al-Rashid himself. The truth will always get its way.

Kizmet! 

Behind the high mountains, behind the dense forest, lived Queen Truth.

The whole world was full of stories about her.

No one saw her, but everyone loved her. Prophets spoke about her, poets sang about her. At the thought of her, the blood burned in my veins. They dreamed about her in a dream.

She appeared in dreams of some in the form of a girl with golden hair, affectionate, kind and gentle. Others dreamed of a black-haired beauty, passionate and menacing. It depended on the songs of the poets.

Some sang:

-Have you seen how on a sunny day, like a sea, a ripe field flows in golden waves? This is the hair of the Queen of Truth. They flow like molten gold over her bare shoulders and back and touch her legs. Her eyes glow like cornflowers in ripe wheat. Get up on a dark night and wait until the first cloud turns pink in the east, the harbinger of the morning. You will see the color of her cheeks. Like an eternal flower, the smile on her coral lips blooms and never fades. The Truth, which lives there, behind the high mountains, behind the dense forest, always smiles at everyone.

Others sang:

“The waves of her fragrant hair are black as the dark night.” Eyes sparkle like lightning. Pale beautiful face. Only the chosen one will smile at her, the black-eyed, black-haired, formidable beauty who lives there, behind the dense forest, behind the high mountains.

And the young knight Khazir decided to see Queen Truth.

There, behind the steep mountains, there behind the thicket of the impenetrable forest, - everyone sang the songs, - stands a palace of heavenly azure, with columns of clouds. Happy is the brave one who is not afraid of high mountains and who walks through a dense forest. He will be happy when he reaches the azure palace, tired, exhausted, and falls on the steps and sings an invocation song. A naked beauty will come out to him. Allah has only seen such beauty once! The young man's heart will be filled with delight and happiness. Wonderful thoughts will boil in his head, wonderful words will be on his lips. The forest will part before him, the mountains will bow their peaks and level with the ground in his path. He will return to the world and tell about the beauty of the Queen of Truth. And, listening to his inspired story about her beauty, everyone, as many people as there are in the world, will all fall in love with the Truth. Her alone. She alone will be the queen of the earth, and the golden age will come in her kingdom. Happy, happy is he who sees her!

Khazir decided to go and see the Truth.

He saddled an Arabian horse, white as milk. He pulled himself tightly with a patterned belt and hung himself with his grandfather’s weapon with a gold notch.

And, bowing to his comrades, women and old knights who had gathered to admire the young man, he said:

- Wish me Bon Voyage! I am going to see Queen Truth and look into her eyes. I'll come back and tell you about her beauty.

He said, gave spurs to his horse and galloped off. The horse rushed like a whirlwind through the mountains, twisted along paths that even a goat would have difficulty galloping along, spread out in the air, and flew over abysses.

And a week later, on a tired and exhausted horse, the knight Khazir rode up to the edge of a dense forest.

There were cells at the edge of the forest, and among them golden bees were buzzing in the beehouse.

Here lived wise men who had retired from the earth and thought about heavenly things. They were called: The First Guardians of Truth.

Hearing the clatter of horses, they left their cells and joyfully greeted the young man hung with weapons. The oldest and most venerable of them said:

- Blessed be every visit of a young man to the sages! Heaven blessed you when you saddled your horse!

Khazir jumped from the saddle, knelt before the wise old man and answered:

– Thoughts are gray hairs of the mind. I salute the gray of your hair and your mind.

The old man liked the polite answer and said:

“The sky has already blessed your intention: you have arrived safely to us through the mountains.” Did you rule on these goat paths? The Archangel led your horse by the bridle. The angels supported your horse with their wings as he, spread out in the air, like a white eagle, flew over bottomless abysses. What good intention brought you here?

Khazir replied:

“I’m going to see Queen Truth.” The whole world is full of songs about her. Some sing that her hair is as light as the gold of wheat, others that it is black as night. But everyone agrees on one thing: that the queen is beautiful. I want to see her so that I can tell people about her beauty. Let everyone, as many people as there are in the world, love her.

- Good intention! Good intention! – the sage praised. “And you couldn’t have done better than to come to us for this.” Leave your horse, enter this cell, and we will tell you everything about the beauty of the Queen of Truth. Your horse will rest for now, and when you return to the world, you will be able to tell people all about the beauty of the queen.

-Have you seen the Truth? - the young man exclaimed, looking at the old man with envy.

The wise old man smiled and shrugged.

“We live on the edge of the forest, and Truth lives over there, behind the dense thicket.” The road there is difficult, dangerous, almost impossible. And why should we, the wise, take this road and undertake wasted effort? Why should we go and see the Truth when we already know what it is? We are wise, we know. Let's go and I'll tell you all the details about the queen!

But Khazir bowed and put his foot in the stirrup:

- Thank you, wise old man! But I myself want to see the Truth. With my own eyes!

He was already on horseback.

The sage even shook with indignation.

- Don `t move! - he shouted. - How? What? Don't you believe in wisdom? Don't you believe in knowledge? Do you dare think that we could be wrong? You dare not trust us, the sages! Boy, puppy, milksucker!

But Khazir waved his silk whip.

- Get out of my way! Otherwise I will insult you with a whip that I have not even insulted a horse with!

The sages shied away, and Khazir rushed off on a rested horse.

The sages’ parting words followed him:

- May you perish, scoundrel! May heaven punish you for your insolence! Remember, boy, at the hour of death: whoever insults one wise person insults the whole world! Let me break your neck, you bastard!

Khazir raced on his horse. The forest became thicker and higher. Curly bushes turned into oak groves. After a day of travel, in a shady, cool oak grove, Khazir went to the temple.

It was a magnificent mosque, the likes of which mortals have rarely been privileged to see. Dervishes lived in it, who humbly called themselves: Dogs of Truth. And whom others called: Faithful Guardians.

When the silent oak grove woke up from the trampling of a horse, dervishes came out to meet the knight, with the supreme mullah at their head.

“Let everyone who comes to the temple of Allah be blessed,” said the mullah, “he who comes in youth is blessed for life!”

- Blessed! - the dervishes confirmed in chorus.

Khazir quickly jumped off his horse and bowed deeply to the mullah and the dervishes.

– Pray for the traveler! - he said.

– Where are you coming from and where are you going? – asked the mullah.

– I am going so that, upon returning to the world, I can tell people about the beauty of the Truth.

And Khazir told the mullah and the dervishes about his meeting with the sages.

The Dervishes laughed when he told how he had to threaten the sages with a whip, and the chief mullah said:

“No other way than Allah himself inspired you with the idea of ​​lifting the whip!” You did well to come to us. What could the sages tell you about Truth? What they came up with with their minds! Fiction! And we have all the information about Queen Truth received directly from heaven. We will tell you everything we know, and you will have the most accurate information. We will tell you everything that is said about Queen Truth in our holy books.

Khazir bowed and said:

- Thank you, father. But I did not go to listen to other people’s stories or read what is written in the sacred books. I could do this at home. It was not worth the trouble for either yourself or the horse.

Mulla frowned slightly and said:

- Oh well! Don't be stubborn, my boy! After all, I have known you for a long time. I knew you when I was still living in the world, when you were very small, and often held you on my lap. I knew your father Hafiz, and I also knew your grandfather Ammelek very well. Your grandfather Ammelek was a nice man. He also thought about Queen Truth. He had a Koran in his house. But he did not even open the Koran, he was content with what the dervishes told him about the Truth. He knew that the Koran must have written the same thing - well, that’s enough. Why else read a book! Your father Gafiz was also very good man, but this one was wiser. Whenever he thought about the Truth, he would take the Koran himself and read it. Read it and calm down. Well, you went even further. Look what you are. Even a book is not enough for you. He came to ask us questions. Well done, praise, praise! Let's go, I'm ready to tell you everything I know. Ready!

Khazir smiled:

Mulla sighed:

- Who knows! Who knows! Anything is possible! A man is not a tree. You look at the shoot and you don’t know what will grow: oak, pine or ash.

Khazir was already sitting on his horse.

- Well, that's it! - he said. - Why leave to my son what I can do myself?

And he started the horse. Mulla grabbed him by the reins.

- Stop, wicked one! How dare you continue on your way after everything I said? Ah, unfaithful dog! So you dare, then, not to believe either us or the Koran!

But Khazir gave spurs to his horse. The horse took off and the mullah flew to the side. With one leap, Khazir was already in the thicket, and after him came the curses of the mullah, the screams and howls of the dervishes.

- Damn you, wicked man! Damn you, vile offender! Who did you insult by insulting us? Let the hot nails dig into your horse's hooves with every step he takes! You are going to your death!

- Let your belly burst! Let your insides crawl out like reptiles, like snakes! - howled the dervishes, rolling on the ground.

Khazir continued on his way. And the path became more and more difficult. The forest is becoming more dense, and the thicket is becoming more and more impassable. We had to make our way at a step, and even then with great difficulty.

Suddenly a cry was heard:

- Stop!

And, looking ahead, Khazir saw a warrior standing with a bow drawn, ready to release a trembling arrow from a tight bowstring. Khazir stopped his horse.

- Who it? Where are you going? Where? And why are you on your way? – asked the warrior.

-What kind of person are you? – Khazir asked him in turn. -And by what right do you ask? And for what purpose?

“And I ask for such a right and for such a need,” the warrior answered, “that I am a warrior of the great padishah.” And I was assigned with my comrades and commanders to guard the sacred forest. Understood? You are at an outpost called the “outpost of Truth,” for it was built to guard the Queen of Truth!

Then Khazir told the warrior where and why he was going. Hearing that the knight was on his way to the azure palace of Truth, the warrior called his comrades and leaders.

– Do you want to know what the Truth really is? - said the main leader, admiring the expensive weapons, the glorious horse and the dashing posture of Khazir. - Good intention, young knight! Good intention! Get off your horse quickly, let’s go, I’ll tell you everything. In the laws of the great padishah, everything is written about what the Truth should be, and I will gladly read it to you. You can come back and tell me later.

- Thank you! – Khazir answered. “But I went there to see her with my own eyes.”

- Hey! - said the leader. - Yes, brother, we are not your wise men, not mullahs and not dervishes! We don't know how to talk much. Get off your horse, quickly, without talking!

And the leader took up his saber. The warriors also bowed their spears. The horse pricked up its ears in fear, snored and backed away.

But Khazir thrust his spurs into his sides, bent down in his bow and, whistling his curved saber above his head, shouted:

- Get out of the way, to whom life is still sweet!

Behind him only screams and howls were heard.

Khazir was already flying through the dense thicket.

And the tops of the trees closed more and more tightly overhead. Soon it became so dark that night reigned in the forest even during the day. Thorn bushes blocked the road like a dense wall.

Exhausted and exhausted, the noble horse patiently endured the blows of the whip and finally fell. Khazir went on foot to make his way through the forest. The thorny bush tore and tore his clothes. In the darkness of a dense forest, he heard the roar and roar of waterfalls, swam across stormy rivers and was exhausted in the fight against forest streams, cold as ice, mad as animals.

Not knowing when the day ended, when the night began, he wandered and, falling asleep on the wet and cold ground, tormented and bloody, he heard all around in the thicket of the forest the howl of jackals, hyenas and the roar of tigers.

So he wandered through the forest for a week and suddenly staggered: it seemed to him that lightning had blinded him.

Straight from the dark, impenetrable thicket, he entered a clearing flooded with dazzling sunlight.

Behind them stood a dense forest like a black wall, and in the middle of a clearing covered with flowers stood a palace, as if made of heavenly azure. The steps leading up to it sparkled, like snow sparkles on the tops of mountains. Sunlight wrapped itself around the azure and, like a cobweb, dressed it with thin golden lines of wondrous verses from the Koran.

The dress hung in rags on Khazira. Only the weapon with the gold notch was intact. Half-naked, powerful, with a bronze body, hung with weapons, he was even more beautiful.

Khazir, staggering, reached the snow-white steps and, as they sang in the songs, exhausted and exhausted, fell to the ground.

But the dew, which covered the fragrant flowers like diamonds, refreshed him.

He stood up, full of strength again, he no longer felt pain from abrasions and wounds, did not feel tired in either his arms or legs. Khazir sang:

“I came to you through a dense forest, through a dense thicket, through high mountains, across wide rivers. And in the impenetrable darkness of the dense forest it was as bright as day for me. The intertwined treetops seemed to me like a gentle sky, and the stars burned for me in their branches. The roar of the waterfalls seemed to me like the murmuring of streams, and the howl of jackals sounded like a song in my ears. In the curses of my enemies, I heard the kind voices of my friends, and the sharp bushes seemed to me like soft, gentle fluff. After all, I was thinking about you! I was coming to you! Come out, come out, queen of the dreams of my soul!

And, hearing the quiet sound of slow steps, Khazir even closed his eyes: he was afraid that he would go blind from the sight of the wonderful beauty.

He stood with his heart beating strongly, and when he plucked up courage and opened his eyes, there was a naked old woman in front of him. Her skin, brown and wrinkled, hung in folds. Gray hair was matted in braids. My eyes were watering. Hunched over, she could barely stand, leaning on the stick. Khazir recoiled in disgust.

- I am the Truth! - she said.

And since the stunned Khazir could not move his tongue, she smiled sadly with her toothless mouth and said:

-Have you thought about finding a beauty? Yes, I was like that! On the first day of the creation of the world. Allah Himself has only seen such beauty once! But, since then, centuries of centuries have rushed by centuries. I’m as old as the hills, I’ve suffered a lot, and that doesn’t make me any more beautiful, my knight! They don't!

Khazir felt that he was going crazy.

- Oh, these songs about the golden-haired, black-haired beauty! – he moaned. – What will I say now when I return? Everyone knows that I left to see the beauty! Everyone knows Khazir - Khazir will not return alive without fulfilling his word! They will ask me, they will ask: “What kind of curls does she have - golden, like ripe wheat, or dark, like night? Are her eyes burning like cornflowers or like lightning?” And I! I will answer: “Her gray hair is like matted balls of wool, her red eyes are watery”...

- Yes Yes Yes! – Truth interrupted him. - You will say all this! You will say that the brown skin hangs in folds on the twisted bones, that the black, toothless mouth has sunk deeply! And everyone will turn away in disgust from this ugly Truth. No one will ever love me again! Dreaming of a wonderful beauty! No one's blood will ignite in anyone's veins at the thought of me. The whole world, the whole world will turn its back on me.

Khazir stood in front of her, with a mad look, clutching his head:

- What should I say? What can I say?

Truth fell to her knees in front of him and, stretching out her hands to him, said in a pleading voice:

Truth and lie

Persian legend

One day, on the road near a big city, a Liar and a Truthful man met.

- Hello, Liar! - said the Liar.

- Hello, Liar! – answered Truthful.

- Why are you swearing? – the Liar was offended.

- I don’t swear. You're lying.

- That's my business. I always lie.

- And I always tell the truth.

- In vain!

The liar laughed.

– It’s a great thing to tell the truth! You see, there is a tree. You will say: “there is a tree.” That's what every fool would say. Simple! In order to lie, you need to come up with something, but in order to come up with something, you still need to use your brains, and in order to use them, you need to have them. A person lies, which means the mind detects it. But he is telling the truth, therefore, a fool. He can't think of anything.

- You're all lying! - said Truthful. “There is nothing higher than the truth.” Truth brightens life!

- Oh? – the Liar laughed again. - If you want, let's go into the city and try it.

- Let's go to!

– Who will make more people happy: you with your truth, or me with my lies.

- Let's go. Let's go.

And they went to the big city.

It was midday and therefore hot. It was hot, and therefore there was not a soul on the streets. Only a dog ran across some road.

The Liar and the Truthful One went into a coffee shop.

- Hello, good people! - the people sitting like sleepy flies in the coffee shop and relaxing under the canopy greeted them. - It's hot and boring. And you are dear people. Tell us, did you come across anything interesting along the way?

“I haven’t seen anything or anyone, good people!” - answered Truthful. - In this heat, everyone sits at home and in coffee shops, hiding. In the whole city, only a dog ran across the road.

“And here I am,” said the Liar, “just now I met a tiger on the street.” A tiger crossed my path.

Everyone suddenly came to life. Like flowers exhausted by the heat if you sprinkle them with water.

- How? Where? What tiger?

– What types of tigers are there? - answered the Liar. - Big, striped, bared his fangs - there! He released his claws - here! He's hitting himself on the sides with his tail - you can see he's angry! I started shaking when he came out from around the corner. I thought I would die on the spot. Yes, glory to Allah! He didn't notice me. Otherwise I shouldn’t be talking to you!

- There is a tiger in the city!

One of the visitors jumped up and shouted at the top of his lungs:

- Hey, master! Brew me some more coffee! Fresh! I’ll be sitting in the coffee shop until late at night! Let your wife scream at home until the veins in her neck burst! Here's another! How can I go home when a tiger walks through the streets!

“And I’ll go to the rich man Hassan,” said the other. “Even though he’s my relative, he’s not very hospitable, I can’t say.” Today, however, as soon as I start talking about the tiger in our city, he becomes generous and treats me to both lamb and pilaf. I would like you to tell me more. Let's eat for the tiger's health!

- And I’ll run to the Vali himself! - said the third. - He sits with his wives, may Allah add years to him and beauty to them! And nothing, tea, doesn’t know what’s going on in the city! We need to tell him, let him change his anger to mercy! Vali has been threatening me for a long time: “I’ll put you in prison!” He says I'm a thief. And now he will forgive, and even reward him with money, for being the first to make such an important report to him!

By lunchtime the whole town was talking only about a tiger roaming the streets.

Hundreds of people saw it in person:

- How can you not see it? How I see you now, I saw you. But he must have been full and didn’t touch it.

And by evening the tiger’s prey was discovered.

It so happened that on that very day the Vali’s servants caught a thief. The thief began to defend himself and even hit one servant. Then the servants knocked down the thief and became so zealous that the thief went to say the evening prayer before the throne of Allah.

The servants were afraid of their zeal. But only for one moment. They ran to the wall, threw themselves at his feet and reported:

- Mighty Vali! Misfortune! A tiger appeared in the city and killed one thief!

- I know that the tiger has appeared. Another thief told me about this! - Vali answered. - It’s no big deal that the thief ate it! That's what was to be expected! Since the tiger has appeared, he must eat someone. The light is wisely arranged! It's good that it's a thief!

So from then on, the inhabitants, when they saw the Vali’s servants, crossed to the other side.

Since the tiger appeared in the city, the Vali's servants began to fight more freely.

Almost all of the residents were locked up.

And if anyone came to tell news about the tiger, he was greeted in every house with honor, treated to the best they could:

- Fearless! Tiger in the city! And you walk the streets!

A poor man, the young man Kazim, appeared to the rich Hassan, leading by the hand Hassan’s daughter, the beauty and rich bride Rohe. Seeing them together, Hassan shook all over with anger:

- Or are there no more stakes in the world? How dare you, poor scoundrel, in defiance of all laws, rules and decency, dishonor my daughter, the daughter of the first rich man: walk down the street with her?

“Thank the prophet,” Kazim answered with a deep bow, “that at least somehow your daughter came to you!” Otherwise you would only see her in a dream. Your daughter was almost eaten by a tiger!

- How so? - Hassan began to shake with fright.

“I was just passing by the fountain where our women usually get water,” said Kazim, “and I saw Rohe’s daughter with pus. Even though her face was covered, who doesn’t recognize a chamois by her gait and the slenderness of the palm tree? If a person, having traveled all over the world, sees the most beautiful eyes, he can safely say: “This is Rohe, daughter of Hassan.” He won't be wrong. She was walking with a jug for water. Suddenly a tiger jumped out from around the corner. Scary, huge, striped, bared his fangs - there! released his claws - here! He hits himself on the sides with his tail, which means he’s angry.

- Yes Yes Yes! So you are telling the truth! - Hassan whispered. “Everyone who has seen a tiger describes it this way.”

– What did Rohe experience, what did she feel? Ask her yourself. And I felt one thing: “It would be better if I died, but not Rohe.” What will the earth be without her? Now the earth is proud before the sky - many stars are burning in the sky, but Rohe's eyes are burning on the earth. I rushed between the tiger and Rohe and offered my chest to the beast: “Torve!” The dagger flashed in my hand. Allah must have had mercy on me and saved my life for something very good. The tiger was frightened by the shine of the dagger, or something, but he just lashed his striped sides, jumped so that he jumped over the house, and disappeared. And I - forgive me! - I came to you with Rohe.

Hassan grabbed his head:

- Well, it’s me, the old fool! Don’t be angry with me, dear Kazim, just as you wouldn’t be angry with a madman! I’m sitting, an old donkey, and this dear, honored guest is standing in front of me! Sit down, Kazim! What should I treat you with? What to treat? And how kindly I ask you, allow me, brave man, to serve you!

And when Kazim, after countless bows, refusals and entreaties, sat down, Hassan asked Rohe:

“Are you very scared, my little goat?”

“And now my heart is still trembling like a shot bird!” - Rohe answered.

- How, how should I reward you? - Hassan exclaimed, turning again to Kazim. - You, the most valiant, brave, best young man in the world! What treasures? Demand from me what you want! Allah is the witness!

- Allah is among us! He's a witness! – Kazim said with reverence.

- Allah is the witness of my oath! – Hassan confirmed.

- You are rich, Hassan! - said Kazim. -You have many treasures. But you are richer than all the people in the world because you have Rohe. I want, Hassan, to be as rich as you! Listen, Hassan! You gave Roha life, and therefore you love her. Today I gave Roha life, and therefore I have the right to love her too. Let us both love her.

“I don’t know, really, like Rohe...” Hassan was confused.

Rohe bowed deeply and said:

- Allah is witness of your oaths. Do you really think that your daughter will be put to shame? own father before Allah and will make him an oathbreaker!

And Rohe bowed again with humility.

“Moreover,” continued Kazim, “grief ties the tongue in a knot, joy unties it,” especially since Rohe and I have loved each other for a long time. I just didn’t dare ask you for it. I'm a beggar, you're a rich man! And every day we gathered at the fountain to mourn our bitter fate. That’s why I found myself near the fountain today when Rohe came.

Hassan became sad:

- This is not good, children!

“And if we hadn’t met at the fountain,” answered Kazim, “the tiger would have eaten your daughter!”

Hassap sighed:

– Let the will of Allah be done in everything and always. We are not going, he is leading us!

And he blessed Rohe and Kazim.

And everyone in the city praised the courage of Kazim, who managed to get himself such a rich and beautiful wife.

They praised him so much that even the Vali himself was jealous:

“I need to get something from this tiger too!”

And he sent a letter with a messenger to Tehran.

“Sorrow and joy alternate like nights and days! - wrote to Tehran. “By the will of Allah, the dark night hanging over our glorious city gave way to a sunny day. A fierce tiger, huge, striped, with claws and teeth so scary to look at, attacked our glorious city. He jumped over houses and ate people. Every day my faithful servants reported to me that a tiger had eaten a man. And sometimes he ate two or three, sometimes even four a day. Horror fell on the city, but not on me. I decided in my heart: “It’s better if I die, but I’ll save the city from danger.” And one went hunting for a tiger. We met him in a back alley where there was no one. The tiger hit himself on the sides with his tail to make himself even more furious, and rushed at me. But since since childhood I have not been involved in anything other than noble pursuits, I can wield a weapon no worse than a tiger with its tail. I hit the tiger between the eyes with my grandfather’s crooked saber and cut its terrible head in two. Through this I saved the city from terrible danger. Which is what I hasten to inform you about. Tiger skin is currently being tanned, and when it is tanned, I will send it to Tehran. Now I don’t send the untreated one out of fear that the tiger skin won’t turn sour on the road due to the heat.”

- Look! - Vali said to the clerk. - Be careful when you start rewriting! Otherwise you’ll boom instead of “when it’s made” - “when it’s bought!”

They sent praise and a golden robe from Tehran. And the whole city was glad that the brave Vali was so generously rewarded.

There was only talk about the tiger, hunting and rewards. The Truthful Man is tired of all this. He began to stop everyone at all intersections:

- Well, why are you lying? Why are you lying? There never was any tiger! He was invented by a Liar! And you are cowards, boasting, rejoicing! We walked with him, and we never came across any tiger. A dog was running, and even then it was not mad.

And there was a talk in the city:

- A truthful man has been found! He says there was no tiger!

This rumor reached the Vali. He ordered the Vali to call the Truthful Man to him, stamped his feet on him, and shouted:

– How dare you spread false news in the city!

But the Truthful Man answered with a bow:

- I don't lie, I tell the truth. There was no tiger, and I’m telling the truth: there wasn’t. A dog was running, and I’m telling the truth: a dog.

- The truth?! – Vali grinned. -What is truth? Truth is what the strong say. When I talk to the Shah, what the Shah says is true. When I talk to you, what I say is true. Do you want to always tell the truth? Buy yourself a slave. Whatever you tell him, everything will always be true. Tell me, do you exist in the world?

- I exist! – Truthful answered with confidence.

- But in my opinion, no. Now I’ll order you to be impaled, and it will turn out that I told the pure truth: there is no you in the world! Understood?

The truthful one stood his ground:

- But I will still tell the truth! There was no tiger, the dog was running! How can I not speak when I saw it with my own eyes!

- With your eyes?

Vali ordered the servants to bring a golden robe sent from Tehran.

- What is it? - Vali asked.

- Golden robe! – answered Truthful.

- Why was he sent?

- For the tiger.

– Would they send a golden robe for a dog?

- No, they wouldn’t send it.

- Well, then you have now seen with your own eyes that there was a tiger. There is a robe - that means there was a tiger. Go and tell the truth. There was a tiger, because he himself saw the robe for him.

- Yes, it’s true...

Here Vali got angry.

– The truth is that they are silent! - he said instructively. - If you want to tell the truth, be silent. Go and remember.

And the Truthful Man went away with great dishonor.

That is, in his heart, everyone respected him very much. And Kazim, and the Vali, and everyone thought: “But one person in the whole city speaks the truth!”

But everyone avoided him: who wants to assent to a truthful person and be branded a liar?!

And no one allowed him on the threshold.

– We don’t need lies!

A truthful man came out of the city in the mountain. And the Liar, fat, ruddy, cheerful, comes towards him.

- What, brother, are they being driven from everywhere?

– For the first time in your life you told the truth! - answered Truthful.

- Now let's count! Who made more happy people: you with your truth or me with my lies. Kazim is happy - he married a rich woman. Vali is happy - he received the robe. Everyone in the city is happy that the tiger did not eat him. The whole city is happy that it has such a brave Vali. And through whom? Through me! Who did you make happy?

- Talk with you! – Truthful waved his hand.

- And even you yourself are unhappy. And me, look! They chase you away everywhere. What can you say? What exists in the world? What everyone already knows without you? And I say something that no one knows. Because I'm making everything up. It's interesting to listen to me. That’s why I’m welcome everywhere. You have only respect. And for me - everything else! Both the reception and the refreshments.

“Respect alone is enough for me!” – answered Truthful.

The liar even jumped for joy:

– For the first time in my life I lied! Is that enough?

- I lied, brother! There is something, after all, you want too!

Wrong heels

The wise Giaffar, the caring ruler of the city, noticed that people with pale, waxy faces, large drops of sweat on their foreheads and dull eyes were wandering the streets and bazaars of Cairo. Despicable opium smokers. There were many, many of them. This worried the caring ruler of the city. And he called all the most revered, noble and richest people of Cairo to a meeting.

Having treated them to sweet coffee, Turkish delight, dates stuffed with pistachios, rose petal jam, amber honey, wine berries, raisins, almonds and sugared nuts, he stood up, bowed and said:

– Holy Mufti, revered mullahs, respected qadi, respectable sheikhs and all of you whom nobility, power or wealth have placed above people! Only Allah alone, in His wisdom, knows why this madness exists. But all of Cairo smokes opium. People are like water, and discontent is like the fog that rises above the water. People are dissatisfied with life here on earth, and are looking for another in the dreams that the damned poppy juice brings to them. I have called you to ask your wisdom for advice: what should we do in such trouble?

Everyone was politely silent. Only one person said:

– To give people a better life here in the world!

But they looked at him like he was a fool.

The mufti himself stood up, bowed and said:

– The people of Cairo are sloths. There are many thieves among them. They are rogues, swindlers, deceivers. And if each of them does not sell his own father, it is only because there are no buyers. But they are pious. And this is the most important thing. It is to their piety that we must turn. Only thought is strong against desires. And thought is the fragrant smoke that comes from fiery words. Words burn and glow, thoughts flow from them and cloud the minds of the listeners with incense. Allow me, caring and wise ruler of the city, to address the pious residents of Cairo with fiery words about the dangers of smoking opium.

The caring ruler of the city replied:

- Allah gave man a tongue to speak. I allow residents to be addressed with whatever words they want, as long as these words are not against the police. You can say whatever you want about Allah, but nothing about the police. Allah is omnipotent and will be able to punish the guilty. This is his sacred work. But I won't let the police touch me. In all other respects, the language is free, like a bird. And the words are like birdsong.

Next Friday at the very great mosque The Mufti of Cairo rose to the dais and said:

- Creatures of Allah! You smoke opium because it is one of the joys of life. Give it up, because this is just one of the joys of life. What is life? What does the prophet tell us about her, may peace and blessings be upon him? Do not get carried away by the joys of this life, perishable and fleeting, because eternal joys await you there, which have no end and no break. Don't get carried away by wealth. Mountains of diamonds, rubies, and turquoise await you there. There are tents made from precious shawls woven with gold, the pillows are stuffed with down softer than a swan's, and they are as soft as a mother's knees. Don't get carried away with food and drink. There is food waiting for you that you will eat forever, without knowing satiation. And the fresh spring water smells like roses there. Don't get carried away with hunting. The forests there are full of marvelous birds of indescribable beauty, as if covered with precious stones. And from every bush a gazelle will look at you. And you will shoot them with golden arrows without missing, rushing on horses as fast and light as the wind. Don't get carried away with women. There, obedient houris will serve you, beautiful, eternally young, not knowing old age, not knowing worries except one: to be pleasant to you. Their eyes are full of love, and their words are full of music. Their sighs fill the air with the scent of flowers. When they dance, they look like lilies swaying on their stems. Your opium gives you this only for a moment, but there, there it is forever!

And the better the holy mufti spoke about paradise, the more the desire to get to know this paradise as quickly as possible and see it at least for one moment flared up in the hearts of the listeners.

The more the Mufti preached, the more and more opium smoking spread in Cairo.

Soon there was not a single pious person left who did not smoke.

If you met a person with a blooming face and clear eyes on the street or in the market, the boys grabbed stones:

“Here is a wicked man who never goes to the mosque!” He has not heard our holy mufti describe paradise, and does not want to see this paradise even for a moment.

All this alarmed the caring ruler of the city, Jiaffar.

He called the noblest and noblest inhabitants of the city to a meeting, treated them to coffee and sweets, as his and their dignity required, bowed and said:

– Piety is piety, but instilling good thoughts in people with the help of words seems to me contrary to nature. A person takes in and throws out the food he has taken from different parts of his body. The same should be with spiritual food. The head is the stomach where thoughts are digested and they come out of the mouth in the form of words. Since thoughts come out from this end of the body, it means they must enter from the other end. From this I conclude that good thoughts should be instilled with sticks on the heels. This is no longer the case of the mufti, but of the Zaptiev. This is how I understand my responsibilities.

Everyone was politely silent.

A wise and holy dervish who was present at the meeting stopped eating sweets and said:

- You are right. But you need to hit the proper heels with sticks!

- I will kick those heels that should! - said Giaffar.

On the same day, heralds in all the bazaars and street corners of Cairo, with the beating of drums, shouted at the top of their lungs the order of the caring ruler of the city:

- It is announced to all the good and pious inhabitants of Cairo - may Allah protect this city for thousands of thousands of years - that from now on it is forbidden for everyone, men, women and eunuchs, youths, adults, old people, nobles, slaves, rich and poor, to smoke opium, since smoking opium is not only harmful to health, but unpleasant to the authorities. Anyone who is caught smoking opium will immediately, on the spot, immediately, without any further discussion, receive as many sticks on his heels as he can bear. And even a little more. About which the ruler of the city, Jiaffar, - may Allah send him as much happiness as he sent him wisdom - gave the proper order to all the zaptiyas. Let those with heels think!

Giaffar gathered the Zaptians and said to them:

“From now on, as soon as you see a person with a pale face, sweating and with cloudy eyes, hit him on the heels like a tambourine.” Without any mercy. Go, and may Allah help you in this.

The Zaptii looked cheerfully at the caring ruler of the city. The police are always happy to carry out the will of their superiors.

And they said:

“Allah send the inhabitants more heels, and the Zaptians have enough hands.”

For whole days and even nights, Giaffar, sitting in his house, heard the cries of those who had good thoughts beaten into their heels, and rejoiced:

- They are exterminating!

The Zaptians, as he noticed, began to dress better, their lips and cheeks were shiny from lamb fat - apparently they ate young lamb every day - and many even got themselves rings with turquoise.

But opium smoking did not decrease. The coffee shops were full of people who saw heaven with their spiritual eyes, but with their physical eyes they looked dimly and saw nothing.

– Are you hitting the right heels? – the caring ruler of the city asked the chief of the Zaptians, remembering the words of the wise and holy dervish.

- Master! - he answered, kissing the ground at his feet. “We act according to your wise order: as soon as we see a person in sweat, with a pale face and cloudy eyes, without any mercy we hit him on the heels.”

Jiaffar ordered a donkey to be sent for the wise and holy dervish.

The wise and holy dervish arrived with great honor. Jiaffar met him barefoot, because the head of a sage is the house of Allah, and one must approach the dwelling of Allah barefoot.

He bowed to the dervish to the ground and told his grief.

- Ask advice from your wisdom and communicate it to my simplicity.

The dervish came to the house of the caring ruler of the city, sat down in a place of honor and said:

“My wisdom is silent now because my stomach is speaking.” Wisdom is smart and knows that you can’t shout out your stomach. He has such a loud voice that when he shouts, all thoughts fly out of his head like frightened birds from a bush. I tried to tame him, but this rebel can only be dealt with by fulfilling all his demands. This rebel listens to the arguments of reason less than any other. On the way to you, I met a lamb, but with such a tail, which would be nice to see on an adult ram. A thought appeared in my stomach: “It would be nice to see it fried.” But reason answered: “We are going to the caring Giaffar, and there a lamb cooked with nuts awaits us.” The stomach became silent until we met a chicken, a chicken so fat that she could barely walk from laziness. “It would be nice to stuff this chicken with pistachios!” - thought the stomach, but the mind answered him: “Caring Giaffar has probably already done this.” At the sight of the pomegranate tree, my stomach began to scream: “Where are we going and what are we looking for when happiness is around us? In the heat, what company could be more pleasant than the company of a ripe pomegranate in the shade of a tree? Reason answered reasonably: “At the caring Giaffar, not only ripe pomegranates are waiting for us, but also orange peels boiled in honey, and all the varieties of sherbet that a caring person can come up with.” So I drove and all the way I thought about kebabs, pilaf, kidneys, spit-roasted chicken with saffron, and calmed my stomach with the thought that we would probably find all this with you. And in abundance. Now, when I see nothing but you, my stomach screams so loudly that my wisdom is silent for fear of not being heard even by me.

Giaffar was surprised:

– Do the wise and saints really think about such things as kebabs and pilafs?

The dervish laughed:

– Do you really think that tasty things are created for fools? Saints should live for their own pleasure, so that everyone wants to become a saint. And if saints live badly, and only sinners live well, every person will prefer to be a sinner. If saints die of hunger, only a fool would want to be a saint. And then the whole earth will be filled with sinners, and the prophet’s paradise with only fools.

Hearing such wise and just words, the caring Giaffar hastened to prepare a treat for the dervish that would correspond to his wisdom and would be worthy of his holiness.

The wise and holy dervish ate everything with the greatest attention and said:

- Now let's get down to business. Your grief is that you are hitting the wrong heels.

And fell asleep, like everyone does a wise man after a good lunch.

The caring Giaffar thought for three days.

What could the wise words of a holy man mean? And finally, he joyfully exclaimed:

– Found real heels!

He called all the Zaptians of the city to him and said:

- My friends! You complain that the heels of the residents have defeated the hands of the police. But this happened because We hit on the wrong heels. Wanting to destroy the trees, We tore off the leaves, but we need to dig up the roots. From now on, beat without any mercy not only those who smoke, but also those who sell opium. All owners of coffee shops, taverns and baths. Do not spare sticks, Allah created entire forests from bamboo.

The Zaptii looked cheerfully at the caring ruler of the city. The police are always happy to receive orders from their superiors. And they said:

- Master! We have only one regret. That the residents only have two heels. If there were four, we could prove our zeal to you twice as hard!

A week later, Giaffar saw with joyful amazement that the Zapti dressed very well, everyone rode donkeys, and no one walked - even the poorest, married to only one wife, married four.

But opium smoking still did not decrease.

The caring Giaffar fell into doubt:

– Is it possible that a wise and holy man makes mistakes?

And he went to the dervish himself. The dervish greeted him with bows and said:

– Your visit is a great honor. I pay for her with lunch. Every time you come to me, instead of inviting me to your place, it seems to me that an excellent dinner is being taken away from me.

Giaffar understood and presented the holy and wise man with a dish of silver coins.

“A fish,” he said, “is just a fish.” You can't make eggplants out of it. Eggplants are just eggplants. A lamb is just a lamb. And money is fish, eggplants, and lamb. You can do anything with money. Could these coins replace your lunch?

The wise and holy dervish looked at the plate with silver coins, stroked his beard and said:

– A dish of silver coins is like pilaf, which you can eat as much as you like. But the caring owner adds saffron to the pilaf!

Giaffar understood and sprinkled gold coins on top of the silver coins.

Then the dervish took the dish, brought the caring ruler of the city into his house with honor, listened to him carefully and said:

- I'll tell you, Giaffar! Your trouble is one thing: you are hitting the wrong heels! And opium smoking in Cairo will not stop until you kick the proper heels!

- But what kind of heels are these?

The wise and holy dervish smiled:

“You just loosened the soil and sowed the seeds, but you are waiting for the trees to immediately grow and bring you fruit.” No, my friend, you need to come more often and water the trees more abundantly. You treated me to a good dinner, for which I thank you again, and brought me money, for which I look forward to thanking you again. Stay safe, Giaffar. I look forward to your invitations or visits, as you please. You are the master, I will obey you.

Giaffar bowed to the sage, as one should bow to a saint. But a storm was raging in his soul.

“Perhaps,” he thought, “in heaven this saint will be just in place, but on earth he is completely inconvenient. He wants to turn me into a goat that comes into the house on its own to be milked! This won’t happen!”

He ordered all the inhabitants of Cairo to be driven away and told them:

- Scoundrels! If only you could look at my zaptii! They are fighting opium smoking, and look how invisibly Allah helps them. The most unmarried of them became very married in a week. And you? You smoke everything you have on opium. Soon your wives will have to be sold for debts. And all you have to do is become eunuchs in order to somehow support your miserable existence. From now on you will all be hit on the heels with bamboos! The whole city is to blame, the whole city will be punished.

And then he gave the order to the zaptians:

- Kill everyone, right and wrong! The wise and holy dervish says that there are some heels that we cannot find. To avoid mistakes, hit everyone. So we will knock on the right door. The guilty heels will not escape us, and everything will stop.

A week later, not only all the zaptii were beautifully dressed, but also their wives.

But opium smoking did not stop in Cairo. Then the caring ruler of the city fell into despair, ordered to fry, bake, boil, cook for three days, sent a donkey for the wise and holy dervish, met him with a dish filled with nothing but gold coins, treated and treated him for three days, and only on the fourth did he get down to business. . He told me his grief.

The wise and holy dervish shook his head:

“Woe to you, Giaffar, everything remains the same.” You're hitting the wrong heels.

Giaffar jumped up:

- Sorry, but this time I will contradict even you! If there is even one guilty heel in Cairo, she has now received as many sticks as she should! And even more.

The dervish answered him calmly:

- Sit down. Standing does not make a person smarter. Let's talk calmly. First you ordered to beat on the heels of pale people, sweating and with dull eyes. So?

– I plucked leaves from harmful trees.

“The zaptii pounded on the heels of people who, all sweaty from labor, pale from fatigue and with eyes dim from fatigue, were returning home from work. You heard the screams of these people in your house. And they took baksheesh from opium smokers. That is why the Zaptians began to dress better. Then you ordered those who sell opium, the owners of coffee shops, bathhouses, and taverns to be beaten on the heels?

“I wanted to get to the roots.”

- The Zaptians began to beat on the heels of those owners of coffee shops, taverns and baths who did not trade in opium. “Trade and pay us baksheesh!” That's why everyone started selling opium, the smoking intensified, and the women became very married. Then you ordered to hit all the heels?

– When they want to catch the smallest fish, they cast the widest net.

– The Zaptians started taking baksheesh from everyone. “Pay and shout so that the caring ruler of the city can hear how hard we are trying!” If you don’t pay, you’ll get sticks on your heels. That’s when not only the zaptii, but also their wives dressed up.

- What should I do? – the caring ruler of the city grabbed his head.

- Don't grab your head. This doesn't make her any more resourceful. Give the order: if they still smoke opium in Cairo, beat the heels of the Zapti with sticks.

Giaffar stood up thoughtfully.

– Holiness is holiness, and the law is law! - he said. “I allow you to say anything, but not against the police.”

And he ordered that the dervish, despite all his wisdom and holiness, be given thirty sticks on his heels.

The dervish endured the canes and wisely and fairly shouted thirty times that he was in pain.

He sat on the donkey, hid the money in his bag, rode about ten steps, turned around and said:

– The fate of every person is written in the book of destinies. Your fate: to always kick the wrong heels.

Green bird

Grand Vizier Mugabedzin called his viziers and said:

– The more I look at our management, the more I see our stupidity.

Everyone was dumbfounded. But no one dared to object.

- What are we doing? – continued the Grand Vizier. - We punish crimes. What could be more stupid than this?

Everyone was amazed, but no one dared to object.

– When a garden is weeded, the bad herbs are pulled out along with the roots. We only trim the bad grass when we see it - this only makes the bad grass grow even thicker. We are dealing with actions. Where is the root of actions? In thoughts. And we must know thoughts in order to prevent evil deeds. Only by knowing thoughts will we know who is a good person and who is a bad person. From whom can you expect what? Only then will vice be punished and virtue rewarded. In the meantime, we only trim the grass, but the roots remain intact, which is why the grass only grows thicker.

The viziers looked at each other in despair.

– But the thought is hidden in the head! - said one of them, more bravely. “And the head is such a bone box that when you break it, the thought flies away.”

- But the thought is so restless that Allah himself created a way out for it - the mouth! – objected the Grand Vizier. “It cannot be that a person, having an idea, does not express it to someone.” We must know people's innermost thoughts, the kind that they express only to those closest to them when they are not afraid of being overheard.

– We need to increase the number of spies!

The Grand Vizier just grinned:

– One person has a fortune, the other works. But here is a man: he has no capital, and does nothing, but eats, as Allah sends to everyone! Everyone will immediately guess: this is a spy. And he will begin to be careful. We already have a lot of spies, but there’s no point. Increasing their number means ruining the treasury, and that’s all!

The viziers were at a standstill.

- I give you a week of time! - Mugabedzin told them. - Either in a week you will come and tell me how to read other people's thoughts, or you can get out! Remember, it's about your seats! Go!

Six days have passed. The viziers only shrugged when meeting each other.

- Did you make it up?

“I couldn’t think of anything better than spies!” And you?

“There can be nothing better than spies!”

There lived at the court of the Grand Vizier a certain Abl-Eddin, a young man, a joker and a mockingbird. He didn't do anything. That is, nothing worthwhile.

He made up various jokes about respectable people. But since the higher ones liked his jokes, and he joked about the lower ones, Abl-Eddin got away with everything. The viziers turned to him.

– Instead of inventing stupid things, come up with something smart!

Abl Eddin said:

- This will be more difficult.

And he set such a price that the viziers immediately said:

- Yes, this man is not stupid!

They formed up, counted out the money to him, and Abl-Eddin said to them:

- You will be saved. And how - do you care? Does it matter to a drowning person how they pull him out: by his hair or by his leg?

Abl Eddin went to the Grand Vizier and said:

“I can solve the problem you set.”

Mugabedzin asked him:

- When you demand peaches from a gardener, you don’t ask him: how will he grow them? He will put manure under the tree, and this will produce sweet peaches. So is the matter of state. Why do you need to know in advance how I will do it? Work for me, fruits for you.

Mugabedzin asked:

– What do you need for this?

Abl-Eddin replied:

- One. Whatever nonsense I come up with, you must agree to it. At least you were overcome by the fear that you and I would both be sent to crazy people for this.

Mugabedzin objected:

“I suppose I’ll stay in my place, but they’ll impale you!”

Abl-Eddin agreed:

- As you wish. One more condition. Barley is sown in the fall and harvested in the summer. You will give me a deadline from the full moon. On this full moon I will sow, on that full moon I will reap.

Mugabedzin said:

- Fine. But remember, this is about your head.

Abl-Eddin just laughed:

“They put a man on a stake, but they say it’s about his head.”

And he handed the finished paper to the Grand Vizier to sign.

The Grand Vizier only grabbed his head after reading it:

“I see you really want to be impaled!”

But, true this promise, signed the paper. Only the vizier, who administers justice, gave the order:

“Sharpen a stronger stake for this fellow.”

The next day, heralds in all the streets and squares of Tehran proclaimed, with the sounds of trumpets and drums:

“People of Tehran! Have fun!

Our wise ruler, the ruler of rulers, possessing the courage of a lion and bright as the sun, has, as you know, given control of you all to the caring Mugabedzin, may Allah prolong his days endlessly.

Mugabedzin sim announces. So that the life of every Persian may flow in pleasantness and pleasure, let everyone get a parrot in their house. This bird, equally entertaining for both adults and children, serves as a true decoration for the home. The richest Indian Rajas have these birds for comfort in their palaces. Let the house of every Persian be decorated in the same way as the house of the richest Indian Raja. Little of! Every Persian must remember that the famous “peacock throne” of the ruler of rulers, taken by his ancestors in a victorious war from the Great Mogul, is decorated with a parrot made from one single, unheard-of-sized emerald - a parrot. So, at the sight of this emerald-colored bird, everyone will involuntarily remember the peacock throne and the lord of lords sitting on it. The caring Mugabedzin transferred the responsibility for supplying all the good Persians with parrots to Abl-Eddin, from whom the Persians can purchase parrots at a set price. This order must be carried out before the next new moon.

Residents of Tehran! Have fun!"

The residents of Tehran were amazed. The viziers quietly argued among themselves: who was more crazy? Abl-Eddin, having written such a paper? Or Mugabedzin, who signed it?

Abl-Eddin ordered a huge transport of parrots from India, and since he sold them for twice as much as he bought them, he made good money.

Parrots sat on perches in all the houses. The vizier, who administers justice, sharpened the stake and carefully covered it with tin. Abl-Eddin walked around cheerfully.

But now the period from full moon to full moon has passed. A full, sparkling moon rose over Tehran. The Grand Vizier called Abl-Eddin to him and said:

- Well, my friend, it’s time to get impaled!

- Make sure you don’t put me somewhere more honorable! – answered Abl-Eddin. - The harvest is ready, go and reap! Go ahead and read minds!

And with the greatest pomp, riding on a white Arabian horse, by the light of torches, accompanied by Abl-Eddin and all the viziers, Mugabedzin set off for Tehran.

-Where would you like to go? – asked Abl-Eddin.

- At least to this house! – the Grand Vizier pointed out.

The owner was dumbfounded when he saw such magnificent guests.

The Grand Vizier nodded his head affectionately. And Abl-Eddin said:

- Have some fun, a kind person! Our caring Grand Vizier stopped by to find out how you are doing, is it fun, is the green bird giving you pleasure?

The owner bowed at his feet and answered:

“Since the wise master ordered us to get a green bird, fun has not left our house.” Me, my wife, my children, and everyone I know can’t get enough of the bird! Praise to the Grand Vizier, who brought joy to our home!

- Wonderful! Wonderful! - said Abl-Eddin. - Bring and show us your bird.

The owner brought a cage with a parrot and placed it in front of the Grand Vizier. Abl-Eddin took pistachios from his pocket and began to pour them from hand to hand. Seeing the pistachios, the parrot stretched, bent sideways, and looked with one eye. And suddenly he shouted:

- Fool Grand Vizier! What a fool the Grand Vizier is! What a fool! What a fool!

The Grand Vizier jumped up as if stung:

- Oh, vile bird!

And beside himself with rage he turned to Abl-Eddin:

- Kol! Stake this scoundrel! Have you figured out how to disgrace me?!

But Abl-Eddin calmly bowed and said:

– The bird didn’t come up with this on its own! So she hears it often in this house! This is what the owner says when he is sure that no stranger is overhearing him! He praises you as wise to your face, but behind your eyes...

And the bird, looking at the pistachios, continued to yell:

- The Grand Vizier is a fool! Abl-Eddin is a thief! Thief Abl-Eddin!

“You hear,” said Abl-Eddin, “the master’s innermost thoughts!”

The Grand Vizier turned to the owner:

- Is it true?

He stood pale, as if he had already died.

And the parrot continued to scream:

- The Grand Vizier is a fool!

- Stop the damned bird! - Mugabedzin shouted.

Abl-Eddin twisted the parrot's neck.

- And the owner is impaled!

And the Grand Vizier turned to Abl-Eddin:

- Get on my horse! Sit down, they tell you! And I will lead him by the bridle. So that everyone knows how I can punish for bad thoughts and appreciate wise ones!

From then on, according to Mugabedzin, he “read other people’s heads better than his own.”

As soon as his suspicion fell on any Persian, he demanded:

- His parrot.

Pistachios were placed in front of the parrot, and the parrot, looking at them with one eye, told everything that was in the owner’s soul. What was most often heard in intimate conversations. He scolded the Grand Vizier, cursed Abl-Eddin. The vizier, who administers justice, did not have time to trim the stakes. Mugabedzin weeded the garden so much that soon there would be no cabbage left in it.

Then the noblest and richest people Tehran came to Abl-Eddin, bowed to him and said:

-You made up a bird. Invent a cat for her too. What should we do?

Abl-Eddin grinned and said:

“It’s hard to help fools.” But if you come up with something smart the next morning, I’ll come up with something for you.

When the next morning Abl-Eddin went out to his reception room, its entire floor was covered with ducats, and the merchants stood in the reception room and bowed.

- This is not stupid! - said Abl-Eddin. “I’m surprised that such a simple idea didn’t occur to you: strangle your parrots and buy new ones from me.” And teach them to say: “Long live the Grand Vizier!” Abl-Eddin is the benefactor of the Persian people! That's all.

The Persians sighed, looked at their ducats and left. Meanwhile, envy and anger were doing their job. The spies - and there were many of them in Tehran - were disbanded by Mugabedzin.

- Why should I feed the spies when the Tehranians themselves feed the spies with them! – the Grand Vizier laughed.

The spies were left without a piece of bread and spread bad rumors about Abl-Eddin. These rumors reached Mugabedzin.

“The whole of Tehran curses Abl-Eddin, and for him the Grand Vizier. “We ourselves have nothing to eat,” say the Tehran residents, “and then feed the birds!”

These rumors fell on good soil.

A statesman is like food. As long as we are hungry, the food smells good. When we eat, it’s disgusting to watch. The same goes for a statesman. A statesman who has already done his job is always a burden.

Mugabedzin has already become burdened with Abl-Eddin:

“Didn’t I shower this upstart with too much honor?” Was he too proud? I would have come up with such a simple thing myself. It's a simple matter!

Rumors of grumbling among the people came at the right time. Mugabedzin called Abl-Eddin to him and said:

“You did me a disservice.” I thought you'd do something useful. You brought only harm. You lied to me! Thanks to you, there is only murmur among the people and growing discontent! And all because of you! You are a traitor!

Abl-Eddin bowed calmly and said:

“You can execute me, but you won’t want to deny me justice.” You can impale me, but first let’s ask the people themselves: are they grumbling and dissatisfied? You have the means to know the innermost thoughts of the Persians. I gave you this remedy. Turn it against me now.

The very next day, Mughabedzin, accompanied by Abl-Eddin, accompanied by all his viziers, rode through the streets of Tehran: “To listen to the voice of the people.”

The day was hot and sunny. All the parrots were sitting on the windows. At the sight of the brilliant procession, the green birds goggled and shouted:

- Long live the Grand Vizier! Abl-Eddin is the benefactor of the Persian people!

So they drove through the whole city.

- These are the innermost thoughts of the Persians! This is what they say to each other at home when they are sure that no one is listening to them! - said Abl-Eddin. – You heard with your own ears!

Mugabedzin was moved to tears.

He dismounted from his horse, embraced Abl Eddin and said:

- I am guilty before you and before myself. I listened to the slanderers! They will be impaled, and you sit on my horse, and I will lead him by the bridle again. Sit down, they tell you!

From then on, Abl-Eddin never fell out of favor with the Grand Vizier.

He was given the greatest honor during his lifetime. A magnificent marble fountain was built in his honor with the inscription:

"Abl-Eddin - the benefactor of the Persian people."

The Grand Vizier Mugabedzin lived and died in the deep confidence that he: “Destroyed discontent among the Persian people and instilled in them the best thoughts.”

And Abl-Eddin, who until the end of his days traded in parrots and made a lot of money from it, wrote in his chronicle where this whole story was taken from: “So sometimes the voices of parrots are mistaken for the voice of the people.”

Without Allah

One day Allah got tired of being Allah. He left his throne and palaces, descended to earth and became an ordinary person. He swam in the river, slept on the grass, picked berries and ate them.

He fell asleep with the larks and woke up when the sun tickled his eyelashes.

Every day the sun rose and set. On rainy days it rained. Birds sang, fish splashed in the water. As if nothing had happened! Allah looked around with a smile and thought: “The world is like a pebble from a mountain. You push it and it rolls by itself.”

And Allah wanted to see: “How do people live without me? Birds are stupid. And fish are stupid too. But somehow smart people live without Allah? Better or worse?

I thought, left the fields, meadows and groves and went to Baghdad.

“Is the city really standing still?” - thought Allah.

And the city stood in its place. Donkeys scream, camels scream, and people scream.

Donkeys work, camels work, and people work. Everything is as it was before!

“But no one remembers my name!” - thought Allah.

He wanted to know what people were talking about.

Allah went to the market. He enters the market and sees: a merchant is selling a horse to a young guy.

“I swear to Allah,” the merchant shouts, “the horse is very young!” It’s only been three years since she was taken from her mother. Oh, what a horse! If you sit on it, you will become a knight. I swear by Allah that I am a knight! And a horse without defects! Here's to you Allah, not a single vice! Not the smallest one!

And the guy looks at the horse:

- Oh, is it so?

The merchant even threw up his hands and grabbed his turban:

- Oh, how stupid! Oh, what a stupid man! I've never seen such stupid people! How could it not be if I swear to you by Allah? Why do you think I don’t feel sorry for my soul!

The guy took the horse and paid in pure gold.

Allah let them finish the matter and approached the merchant.

- How so, good man? You swear by Allah, but Allah no longer exists!

At this time, the merchant hid the gold in his wallet. He shook his wallet, listened to the ringing and grinned.

- And even if it was like that? But really, one wonders, otherwise he would have bought a horse from me? After all, the horse is old, and his hoof is cracked!

And the porter Hussein meets him. This sack is carrying twice as much as he himself. And behind the porter Hussein is the merchant Ibrahim. Hussein's legs give way under the sack. The sweat is pouring down. His eyes popped out of his head. And Ibrahim follows and says:

– You are not afraid of Allah, Hussein! You set out to carry a sack, but you carry it quietly! This way we won’t be able to bear even three sacks a day. Not good, Hussein! Not good! You should at least think about your soul! After all, Allah sees everything how lazy you work! Allah will punish you, Hussein.

Allah took Ibrahim by the hand and took him aside.

– Why do you keep remembering Allah at every step? After all, there is no Allah!

Ibrahim scratched his neck.

- I heard about it! But what can you do? How else can Hussein be forced to carry the coolies as quickly as possible? Coolies are heavy. Adding more money to him for this is a loss. Beat him off - if Hussein is healthier than me, he’ll beat him up himself. Take him to Wali - so Hussein will escape along the road. But Allah is stronger than everyone, and you can’t run away from Allah, so I scare him with Allah!

And the day had already turned to evening. Long shadows ran from the houses, the skies began to burn like fire, and from the minaret came the long, drawn-out song of the muezzin:

– La ill ago ill alla…

Allah stopped near the mosque, bowed to the mullah and said:

- Why are you gathering people to the mosque? After all, Allah is no more!

Mulla even jumped up in fright.

- Quiet! Keep quiet! If you shout, they will hear you. There is nothing to say, then I will be honored! Who will come to me if they find out that there is no Allah!

Allah furrowed his brows and soared to the heavens like a pillar of fire in front of the mullah, who was speechless and fell to the ground.

Allah returned to his palace and sat on his throne. And not with a smile, as before, he looked at the ground that was at his feet.

When the first soul of a believer appeared before Allah, timid and trembling, Allah looked at it with an inquiring eye and asked:

- Well, what good have you done, man, in life?

“Your name never left my lips!” - answered the soul.

– Whatever I undertake, whatever I do, everything is in the name of Allah.

“And I inspired others to remember Allah!” - answered the soul. - Not only did he remember! To others, at every step, with whomever he dealt, he reminded everyone about Allah.

- What a zealous guy! - Allah grinned. - Well, did you make a lot of money?

The soul trembled.

- That's it! - Allah said and turned away.

And Shaitan crawled and crawled towards the soul, grabbed her by the legs and dragged her. Thus Allah became angry with the earth.

Judge in heaven

Azrael, the angel of death, flying over the earth, touched the wise Qadi Osman with his wing.

The judge died and immortal soul he appeared before the prophet.

It was at the very entrance to heaven.

From behind the trees, covered with flowers like pink snow, came the ringing of tambourines and the singing of divine houris, calling for unearthly pleasures.

And from afar, from the dense forests, came the sounds of horns, the ringing tramp of horses and the dashing cries of hunters. Brave, on snow-white Arabian horses, they rushed after fleet-footed chamois and ferocious boars.

- Let me into heaven! Judge Osman said.

- Fine! - answered the prophet. “But first you must tell me what you did to deserve it.” This is our law in heaven.

- Law? “The judge bowed deeply and put his hand to his forehead and heart as a sign of greatest respect. – It’s good that you have laws and you follow them. This is what I praise about you. The law must be everywhere and must be enforced. This is done well for you.

- So, what did you do to deserve heaven? – asked the great prophet.

- There can be no sin on me! - answered the judge. “All my life I did nothing but condemn sin. I was a judge there on earth. I judged, and judged very strictly!

– Probably, you yourself shone with some special virtues if you judged others? And he judged strictly! - asked the prophet.

The judge frowned.

– As for virtues... I won’t say! I was the same as all people. But I judged because I received a salary for it!

– Virtue is still small! – the prophet smiled.

- Get paid! I don't know a single vicious person who would refuse this. It turns out this way: you condemned people because they do not have those virtues that you do not have. And for this he also received a salary! Those who receive a salary judge those who do not receive a salary. A judge can judge a mere mortal. But a mere mortal cannot judge a judge, even if the judge was clearly guilty. Something strange!

The judge's brow grew more and more frowning.

- I judged according to the laws! – he said dryly. “I knew them all and judged them by them.”

“Well, did those whom you judged,” the prophet inquired, “knew the laws?”

- Oh no! – the judge answered proudly. - Where should they go? This is not for everyone!

– So you tried them for failure to comply with laws that they didn’t even know?! - exclaimed the prophet. - Well, what are you doing? Did you try to make sure everyone knew the laws? Did you try to educate those who don’t know?

- I judged! – the judge answered firmly. - Seeing that laws are being violated.

– Have you tried to make sure that people don’t have to break laws?

- I received a salary for judging! – The judge looked gloomily and suspiciously at the prophet. The judge's brow wrinkled, his eyes were angry. “You are saying inappropriate things, prophet, I must point out to you!” – he said sternly. - Dangerous things! You talk too freely, prophet! Based on your reasoning, I suspect that you are not a Shiite, prophet? A Sunni should not reason like that, prophet! Your words are prescribed by the books of Sunnah!

The judge thought.

“And therefore, based on the fourth book of Sunnah, page one hundred and twenty-three, fourth line from the top, read from the second half, and guided by the explanations of the wise elders, our holy mullahs, I accuse you, prophet...

Here the prophet could not stand it and laughed.

- Go back to the ground, judge! - he said. -You are too strict for us. It’s much kinder here in heaven!

And he sent the wise judge back to earth.

“But how can I do this when I’m dead?” - the judge exclaimed. – How to apply?

- A! So good! Since it's framed this way, I agree!

And the judge returned to earth.

Caliph and the Sinner

“For the glory of Allah, the One and Almighty. To the glory of the prophet, may peace and blessings be upon him.

In the name of the Sultan and Emir of Baghdad, the Caliph of all the faithful and the humble servant of Allah - Harun al-Rashid, we, the Grand Mufti of the city of Baghdad, declare this sacred fatwa - let it be known to everyone.

This is what, according to the Koran, Allah has put into our hearts: Mischief is spreading across the earth, and kingdoms are perishing, countries are perishing, nations are perishing for the sake of luxury, fun, feasts and effeminacy, forgetting Allah.

We want the aroma of piety to rise from our city of Baghdad to the sky, as the fragrance of its gardens rises, as the sacred calls of the muezzins rise from its minarets.

Evil enters the world through a woman.

They forgot the rules of the law, modesty and good morals. They hang themselves with jewelry from head to toe. They wear veils that are as transparent as the smoke from the nargile. And if they are covered with precious fabrics, it is only in order to better expose the disastrous charms of their body. They made their body, this creation of Allah, an instrument of temptation and sin.

Seduced by them, warriors lose their courage, merchants lose their wealth, artisans lose their love of work, farmers lose their desire to work.

That’s why we decided in our hearts to snatch its deadly sting from the snake.

It is announced for the information of all living in the great and glorious city of Baghdad:

All dancing, singing and music are prohibited in Baghdad. Laughter is prohibited, jokes are prohibited.

Women must leave the house covered from head to toe in white linen veils.

They are only allowed to make small holes for their eyes so that when walking down the street they do not deliberately bump into men.

Everyone, old and young, beautiful and ugly, everyone should know: if any of them is seen to have even the tip of her little finger exposed, she will be accused of attempting to kill all the men and defenders of the city of Baghdad and will be immediately stoned. This is the law.

Execute it as if it had been signed by the Caliph himself, the great Harun al-Rashid.

By his grace and appointment, the Grand Mufti of the city of Baghdad, Sheikh Gazif.”

To the roar of drums and the sound of trumpets, such a fatwa was read by heralds at the bazaars, crossroads and fountains of Baghdad - and at the same moment the singing, music and dancing in the cheerful and luxurious Baghdad stopped. It was like a plague had entered the city. The city became quiet, like a cemetery.

Like ghosts, women wandered through the streets, wrapped from head to toe in dull white blankets, and only their eyes peered out in fear from narrow slits.

The bazaars became deserted, the noise and laughter disappeared, and even the talkative storytellers in the coffee shops fell silent.

People are always like this: when they rebel, they just rebel, and if they begin to obey the laws, they obey in such a way that even the authorities become disgusted.

Harun al-Rashid himself did not recognize his cheerful, joyful Baghdad.

“Wise Sheikh,” he said to the Grand Mufti, “it seems to me that your fatwa is too harsh!”

- Lord! Laws and dogs must be evil to be feared! – answered the Grand Mufti.

And Harun al-Rashid bowed to him:

“Perhaps you are right, wise sheikh!”

At this time, in distant Cairo, the city of fun, laughter, jokes, luxury, music, singing, dancing and transparent women's veils, there lived a dancer named Fatma Khanum, may Allah forgive her her sins for the joys that she brought to people. She had reached her eighteenth spring.

Fatma Khanum was famous among the dancers of Cairo, and the dancers of Cairo were famous among the dancers all over the world.

She heard a lot about the luxury and riches of the East, and the largest diamond in the East, she heard, sparkled Baghdad.

The whole world spoke about the great caliph of all believers, Harun al-Rashid, about his brilliance, splendor, and generosity.

The rumor about him also touched her pink ears, and Fatma Khanum decided to go east, to Baghdad, to Caliph Harun al-Rashid - to please his eyes with her dances.

“Custom requires that every true believer bring the best he has to the caliph; I will also bring to the great caliph the best that I have - my dances.

She took her outfits with her and set off on a long journey. The ship on which she sailed from Alexandria to Beirut was overtaken by a storm. Everyone lost their heads.

Fatma Khanum dressed as she usually dressed for dancing.

- Look! - The frightened travelers pointed at her in horror. – One woman has already gone crazy!

But Fatma Khanum answered:

“For a man to live, he only needs a saber, a woman needs only a dress to suit her face, a man will get her everything else.”

Fatma Khanum was as wise as she was beautiful. She knew that everything was already written in the book of Fate. Kizmet! 

The ship was smashed against the coastal rocks, and of all those sailing on the ship, only Fatma Khanum was thrown ashore. In the name of Allah, she and accompanying caravans traveled from Beirut to Baghdad.

- But we are taking you to your death! - the drivers and guides told her as encouragement. “They’ll stone you in Baghdad for dressing like that!”

“In Cairo I was dressed the same way, and no one even hit me with a flower for it!”

“There is no such virtuous mufti as Sheikh Gazif in Baghdad, and he did not issue such a fatwa!”

- But for what? For what?

- They say that such a dress arouses perverse thoughts in men!

– How can I be responsible for other people’s thoughts? I am only responsible for my own!

– Talk to Sheikh Gazif about this!

Fatma Khanum arrived in Baghdad with a caravan at night.

Alone, in a dark, empty, dead city, she wandered through the streets until she saw houses where the fire was glowing. And she knocked. This was the house of the Grand Mufti.

So in the fall, during the migration of birds, the wind carries quails directly into the net.

The Grand Mufti Sheikh Gazif did not sleep.

He sat, thought about virtue and composed a new fatwa, even more severe than the previous one... Hearing a knock, he became alert:

– Isn’t it the Caliph Harun al-Rashid himself? He often can't sleep at night and loves to wander around the city!

The mufti himself opened the door and retreated in amazement and horror.

- Woman?! Woman? I have? The Grand Mufti? And in such clothes?

Fatma Khanum bowed deeply and said:

- My father's brother! From your majestic appearance, from your venerable beard, I see that you are no mere mortal. By the huge emerald - the color of the prophet, may peace and blessings be upon him - that adorns your turban, I guess that I see before me the greatest Mufti of Baghdad, the venerable, famous and wise Sheikh Gazif. My father's brother, accept me as you would accept your brother's daughter! I am originally from Cairo. My mother named me Fatma. My occupation is a dancer, if you want to call this pleasure an occupation. I came to Baghdad to amuse the eyes of the Caliph of the Faithful with my dances. But I swear, Grand Mufti, I knew nothing about the formidable fatwa - undoubtedly fair, for it comes from your wisdom. That's why I dared to appear before you dressed not according to the fatwa. Forgive me, great and wise mufti!

- Allah alone is great and wise! - answered the mufti. “I am really called Gazif, people call me sheikh, and our great ruler, Caliph Harun al-Rashid, appointed me, above my merits, as the great mufti. You are lucky that you ended up with me, and not with a mere mortal. A mere mortal, on the basis of my own fatwa, would have to immediately send for the zaptiyas or stone you himself.

- What will you do to me?! – Fatma Khanum exclaimed in horror.

- I? Nothing! I will admire you. The law is like a dog - it must bite others and caress towards its owners. The fatwa is harsh, but I wrote the fatwa. Make yourself at home, my brother's daughter. If you want to sing, sing, if you want to dance, dance!

But when the sound of a tambourine was heard, the mufti shuddered:

- Quiet! They will hear! What if the damned qadi finds out that the great mufti had a foreigner at night... Oh, these dignitaries! A snake does not bite a snake, but the dignitaries only think about how to bite each other. Of course, this woman is beautiful, and I would gladly make her the first dancer of my harem. But wisdom, great mufti. Wisdom... I'll send this criminal to the qadi. Let him dance in front of him. If the qadi finds her guilty and orders her execution, let justice be done... The law on my fatwa has never been applied, and a law that is not applied is a dog that does not bite. They stop being afraid of her. Well, if the qadi is deceived and has mercy on her, the sting of the damned snake will be torn out! The defendant in whose crime the judge participated can sleep peacefully.

And the great mufti wrote a note to the qadi: “Great qadi! To you, as the supreme judge of Baghdad, I am sending a criminal against my fatwa. As a doctor investigates the most dangerous disease, without fear of getting sick yourself, explore this woman’s crime. Look at her and her dancing for yourself. And if you find her guilty against my fatwa, call for justice. If you recognize her as deserving of leniency, call mercy into your heart. For mercy is higher than justice. Justice was born on earth, and the birthplace of mercy is heaven.”

The great cadi also did not sleep. The next day he wrote decisions on the cases that he would try - in advance - “so as not to torment the defendants with waiting for the verdict.”

When Fatma Khanum was brought to him, he read the mufti’s note and said:

- A! old echidna! He himself, apparently, violated his fatwa and now wants us to violate it!

And, turning to Fatma Khanum, he said:

- So, you are a foreigner, looking for justice and hospitality. Wonderful. But to do you justice, I must know all your crimes. Dance, sing, commit your criminal acts. Remember one thing: you must not hide anything in front of the judge. The fairness of the sentence depends on this. As for hospitality, this is a judge’s specialty. The judge always keeps his guests longer than they want.

And in the qadi’s house that night a tambourine sounded. The Grand Mufti was not mistaken.

Harun al-Rashid could not sleep that night, and he, as usual, wandered the streets of Baghdad. The Caliph's heart was filled with sadness. Is this his cheerful, noisy, carefree Baghdad, which usually did not sleep until well after midnight? Now snoring came from all the houses. Suddenly the Caliph's heart trembled. He heard the sound of a tambourine. They played, oddly enough, in the house of the Grand Mufti. After a while, the tambourine thundered in the cadi's house.

– Everything is wonderful in this most beautiful city! - exclaimed the Caliph, smiling. – While vice sleeps, virtue rejoices!

And he went to the palace, terribly interested in what was happening at night in the house of the great mufti and qadi.

He barely waited for dawn, and as soon as the pink rays of sunrise flooded Baghdad, he went into the Lion Hall of his palace and declared the supreme court. Harun al-Rashid sat on the throne. The guardian of his honor and power, the squire, stood next to him and held a naked sword. To the right of the caliph sat the great mufti in a turban with a huge emerald - the color of the prophet, may peace and blessing be upon him. On the left sat the chief qadi in a turban with a huge ruby, like blood.

The Caliph put his hand on his drawn sword and said:

– In the name of Allah, the One and the Merciful, we declare the Supreme Court open. May he be as just and merciful as Allah! Happy is the city that can sleep peacefully because its rulers do not sleep for it. Tonight Baghdad slept peacefully, because three people did not sleep for it: I - its emir and caliph, my wise mufti and my formidable qadi!

– I was drawing up a new fatwa! - said the mufti.

– I was engaged in government affairs! - said the cadi.

– And how joyful it is to indulge in virtue! Like a dance, it is performed to the sound of a tambourine! – Harun al-Rashid exclaimed cheerfully.

– I interrogated the accused! - said the mufti.

– I interrogated the accused! - said the cadi.

– A hundred times happy is the city where vice is pursued even at night! - exclaimed Harun al-Rashid.

– We also know about this criminal. We heard about her from the caravan driver we met on the street at night, with whom she arrived in Baghdad. We ordered her to be taken into custody and she is here now. Enter the accused!

Fatma Khanum entered trembling and fell in front of the Caliph.

Harun al-Rashid turned to her and said:

“We know who you are, and we know that you have come from Cairo to amuse the eyes of your caliph with your dancing.” You brought us the best that you have in the simplicity of your soul. But you violated the sacred fatwa of the Grand Mufti and for this you are subject to trial. Arise, my child! And fulfill your wish: dance in front of the Caliph. That from which neither the great mufti nor the wise qadi perished, from which, with the help of Allah, the caliph will not perish.

And Fatma Khanum began to dance.

Looking at her, the Grand Mufti whispered, but so that the Caliph could hear:

- Oh, sin! Oh, sin! She tramples the sacred fatwa!

Looking at her, the supreme qadi whispered, but so that the caliph could hear:

- Oh, crime! Oh, crime! Every move she makes is worthy of death!

The Caliph watched in silence.

- Sinner! - said Harun al-Rashid. – From the city of beautiful vice, Cairo, you arrived in the city of stern virtue – Baghdad. Godliness reigns here. Piety, not hypocrisy. Piety is gold, and hypocrisy is a counterfeit coin, for which Allah will not give anything except punishment and death. Neither beauty nor the misfortunes you have endured soften the hearts of your judges. Virtue is stern, and pity is inaccessible to it. Do not stretch out your pleading hands in vain either to the great mufti, or to the supreme qadi, or to me, your caliph... Great Mufti! What is your verdict on this woman who violated the sacred fatwa?

The Grand Mufti bowed and said:

- Death!

- Supreme Qadi! Your judgment!

The Supreme Qadi bowed and said:

- Death!

- Death! - I say too. You have violated the sacred fatwa and must be stoned right there on the spot, without hesitating for a moment. Who will be the first to throw a stone at you? I, your caliph!.. I must throw the first stone that comes to you!

Harun al-Rashid took off his turban, tore off a huge diamond, the glorious “Great Mogul”, and threw it at Fatma Khanum. The diamond fell at her feet.

- You will be the second! - said the Caliph, addressing the Grand Mufti. – Your turban is decorated with a magnificent dark green emerald, the color of the prophet, may peace and blessings be upon us... What better purpose for such a beautiful stone than to punish vice?

The Grand Mufti took off his turban, tore off a huge emerald and threw it away.

– It’s your turn, Supreme Qadi! Your duty is severe and the huge ruby ​​on your turban sparkles with blood. Do your duty!

The qadi took off his turban, tore off the ruby ​​and threw it away.

- Woman! - said Harun al-Rashid. “Take these stones that you deserve as punishment for your crime.” And preserve them as a memory of the mercy of your caliph, the piety of his great mufti and the justice of his chief qadi. Go!

And since then, they say, it has become a custom in the world to throw beautiful women precious stones.

– Sheikh Gazif, my great mufti! - said the Caliph. – I hope that today you will eat pilaf to your heart’s content. I fulfilled your fatwa!

– Yes, but I’m canceling it. She's too harsh!

- How? You said: the law is like a dog. The angrier they are, the more they fear him!

- Yes, lord! But a dog must bite strangers. If it bites the owner, the dog is put on a chain!

This is how the wise caliph Harun al-Rashid judged for the glory of Allah, the only and merciful.

from Moorish legends

In the morning, bright and cheerful, the Caliph Mahommet sat in the magnificent courtroom in the Alhambra, on a carved ivory throne, surrounded by eunuchs, surrounded by servants. I sat and watched. The morning was beautiful.

There was not a cloud in the sky, not a cobweb from a cloud. The Lions' courtyard seemed to be covered with a dome of blue enamel. An emerald valley with flowering trees looked out the window. And this view in the window seemed like a painting inserted into a patterned frame.

- How good! - said the Caliph. - How wonderful life is. Enter those who poison the quiet joys of life with their disgusting actions!

- Caliph! - answered the chief eunuch. “Today only one criminal will appear before your wisdom and justice!”

- Bring him in...

And Sephardin was brought in. He was barefoot, dirty, in rags. His arms were tied back with ropes. But Sephardin forgot about the ropes when he was led into the Court of Lions.

It seemed to him that he had already been executed and that his soul had already been transported to the paradise of Mohammed. It smelled like flowers.

Bouquets of diamonds flew over a fountain resting on ten marble lions.

To the right and to the left, through the arches, chambers were visible, covered with patterned carpets.

Multi-colored mosaic walls cast a reflection of gold, blue, and red. And the chambers, from which aroma and coolness wafted, seemed filled with golden, blue, pink twilight.

- Get down on your knees! Get on your knees! – the guards whispered, pushing Sephardin. “You are standing before the Caliph.”

Sephardi fell to his knees and began to sob. He was not yet in heaven; he still had to face trial and execution.

-What did this man do? - asked the caliph, feeling that regret stirred in his heart.

The eunuch, chosen to accuse without passion and without pity, answered:

- He killed his comrade.

- How? - Mahommet exclaimed angry. -You took the life of your own kind?! What made this scoundrel commit the greatest of crimes?

- For the most insignificant reason! - answered the eunuch. “They fought over a piece of cheese that someone had dropped and which they found on the road.

- Because of a piece of cheese! Right Allah! – Mahommet clasped his hands.

- This is not entirely true! - Sephardin muttered. - It wasn't a piece of cheese. It was just a cheese rind. She was not dropped, but abandoned. Hoping that the dog will find it. And people found it.

- And people squabbled like dogs! – the eunuch remarked with contempt.

- Shut up, wretch! - Mahommet shouted, beside himself with anger. “With every word you tighten the noose on your throat!” Because of the cheese rind! Look, despicable one! How wonderful life is! How wonderful life is! And you deprived him of all this!

“If I had known that life was like this,” answered Sephardin, looking around, “I would never have deprived anyone of it!” Caliph! Everyone speaks, a wise man listens. Listen to me, Caliph!

- Speak! - Mahommet ordered, restraining his indignation.

- Great Caliph! Life here, on the Sacred Mountain, and life there, in the valley from where I was brought, are two lives, Caliph. Let me ask you a question!

- Ask.

-Have you ever seen a crust of bread in a dream?

- A crust of bread? – the Caliph was surprised. – I don’t remember such a dream!

- Well, yes! A crust of bread! Remember well! – Sephardin continued, kneeling. - A crust of bread that was thrown. A crust of bread covered in slop. Covered with mold and dirt. A crust of bread that the dog sniffed and did not eat. And did you want to eat this crust of bread, Caliph? Have you extended your hand to her, trembling with greed? And did you wake up at that moment, in horror, in despair: a crust doused in slop, a crust covered with mold and dirt, you only dreamed of! It was only in a dream.

“I have never seen such a strange, such a low dream!” - the caliph called out. – I see dreams. Armies of enemies that run before my riders. Hunting in dark gorges. Wild goats, which I hit with a mark, an arrow ringing in the air. Sometimes I dream of heaven. But I have never seen such a strange dream.

– And I saw him every day and all my life! – Sephardin answered quietly. “In all my life I have never seen another dream!” And the one whom I killed never saw another dream in his entire life except this one. And no one in our valley has ever seen anything different. We dream of a crust of dirty bread, like victory and paradise for you.

The Caliph sat silently and thought.

-And you killed your friend in a dispute?

- Killed. Yes. If he lived like your servants in the Alhambra, I would deprive him of the joys of life. But he lived in the valley, like me. I put him out of his misery. That's all I deprived him of.

The Caliph sat silently and thought.

And just as clouds gather on the top of the mountains, wrinkles gathered on his brow.

– The law expects a word of justice from you! - the eunuch-accuser dared to interrupt the silence of the caliph.

Mahommet looked at Sephardin.

– Is he waiting to be freed from suffering too? Untie him and let him go. Let him live.

Everyone around did not dare to believe their ears: is that what they hear?

– But laws?! - exclaimed the eunuch. - But you, Caliph! But we! We are all obliged to obey the laws.

Mahommet looked at his frightened face with a sad smile.

“We’ll try to make sure he has better dreams in the future and so that he doesn’t squabble like a dog over the cheese rind!”

And he stood up as a sign that the trial was over.

One day Allah descended to earth, took the form of himself, himself common man, went into the first village he came across and knocked on the poorest house, Ali’s.

- I'm tired, I'm dying of hunger! - Allah said with a low bow. - Let the traveler in.

Poor Ali opened the door for him and said:

– A tired traveler is a blessing to the home. Sign in.

Allah has entered.

Ali's family was sitting and having dinner.

- Sit down! - said Ali. Allah sat down.

Everyone took a piece from themselves and gave it to him. When they finished dinner, the whole family stood up for prayer. One guest sat and did not pray. Ali looked at him in surprise.

– Don’t you want to pray to Allah? - Ali asked.

Allah smiled.

– Do you know who is visiting you? - he asked a question.

Ali shrugged.

- You told me your name - traveler. Why should I know anything else?

“Well, then know who came into your house,” said the traveler, “I am Allah!”

And all of him sparkled like lightning.

Ali fell at the feet of Allah and exclaimed with tears:

- Why was such a favor shown to me? Are there not enough rich and noble people in the world? In our village there is a mullah, there is a foreman Kerim, there is a rich merchant Megemet. And you chose the poorest, the most beggar - Ali! Thank you.

Ali kissed the footprint of Allah. Since it was already late, everyone went to bed. But Ali couldn’t sleep. All night he tossed and turned from side to side, still thinking about something. The next day I kept thinking about something too. He sat thoughtfully at dinner and did not eat anything.

And when dinner was over, Ali could not stand it and turned to Allah:

- Do not be angry with me, Allah, because I ask you a question!

Allah nodded his head and said: “Ask!”

- I'm amazed! - said Ali. “I’m amazed and I just can’t understand!” In our village there is a mullah, a learned and noble man - everyone bows to him at the waist when they meet him. There is Sergeant Major Kerim, an important man; the Vali himself stops with him when he travels through our village. There is a merchant Megemet - a rich man like, I think, there are not many in the world. He would be able to treat you and put you to bed on clean fluff. And you went and went to Ali, a poor man, a beggar! I must be pleasing to you, Allah? A?

Allah smiled and replied:

- Satisfied!

Ali even laughed with joy:

- I’m glad that you please! I'm glad!

Ali slept well that night. He went to work cheerfully. He returned home cheerfully, sat down to dinner and cheerfully said to Allah:

- And I, Allah, need to talk to you after dinner!

- We'll talk after dinner! - Allah answered cheerfully.

When dinner was over and his wife cleared away the dishes, Ali cheerfully turned to Allah:

- And I must be very pleasing to you, Allah, if you went and came to me?! A?

- Yes! - Allah answered with a smile.

- A? - Ali continued with a laugh. “There is a mullah in the village to whom everyone bows, there is an elder with whom the Vali himself stays, there is Megemet the rich man who would pile pillows up to the ceiling and would be happy to slaughter a dozen sheep for dinner. And you took it and came to me, to the poor man! I must really please you? Tell me, very much?

- Yes! Yes! - Allah answered, smiling.

- No, tell me, do you really like me? - Ali pestered. - That you are all “yes, yes.” Tell me how I please you?

- Yes Yes Yes! I really, really, really like you! - Allah answered with a laugh.

- So much?

- OK. Let's go to bed, Allah.

The next morning Ali woke up in an even better mood. I walked around all day, smiling, thinking something cheerful and joyful.

At dinner I ate for three and after dinner I patted Allah’s knee.

- And I think you, Allah, are terribly happy that I please you so much? A? Tell me what you like? Are you very happy, Allah?

- Very! Very! - Allah answered smiling.

- I think! - said Ali. - I know, brother Allah, from myself. Even if a dog pleases me, it gives me pleasure to see it. So it’s the dog, or it’s me! Either me or you, Allah! I can imagine how happy you must be, looking at me! You see in front of you such a person who is suitable for you! Is your heart playing?

- Plays, plays! Go to bed! - said Allah.

- Well, let's go to bed, I guess! – Ali answered.

- If you please!

The next day Ali walked around thoughtfully, sighed at dinner, looked at Allah, and Allah noticed that Ali once even imperceptibly wiped away a tear.

- Why are you so sad, Ali? - Allah asked when they finished dinner.

Ali sighed.

- Yes, Allah is thinking about you! What would happen to you if I didn't exist?

- How is this possible? - Allah was surprised.

- What would you do without me, Allah? Look how windy and cold it is outside, and the rain seems to be lashing like whips. What would happen if a person you liked like me didn’t exist? Where would you go? You would freeze in the cold, in the wind, in the rain. There wouldn't be a dry thread on you! And now you are sitting warm and dry. It's light and you've eaten. And why all? Because there is a person you like that you could go to! You would have perished, Allah, if I had not been in the world. Happy are you, Allah, that I exist in the world. Really, lucky guy!

At this point Allah could no longer stand it, he laughed loudly and disappeared from sight. Only on the bench where he was sitting was a pile of large ducats, two thousand pieces.

- Fathers! What wealth! – Ali’s wife clasped her hands. - What is this? Is there such a thing as money in the world? I'll go crazy!

But Ali pulled her away from the money with his hand, counted the gold pieces and said:

- B-a little!

Mustafa and his neighbors

Mustafa was a wise man. He said to himself:

– A person who seeks truth is like a person who is tormented by an unbearable thirst. When a person is thirsty, he should drink water and not spit.

Therefore, Mustafa listened more than he spoke. He listened to everyone equally. Those who were considered smart. And those who were considered stupid. Who knows who is smart and who is really stupid?

– If the lamp barely flickers, this does not mean that there is no oil in it. Often the lamp barely burns because it is full of oil and has not yet ignited.

Mustafa asked anyone who wanted to start a conversation with him:

– Don’t you know anything about the truth? Tell me.

One day, when Mustafa, lost in thought, was walking along the road, an old dervish came across him. Dervish said to Mustafa:

- Good afternoon, Mustafa!

Mustafa looked at him in amazement: he had never seen this dervish.

- Where do you know me from?

Dervish smiled and instead of answering, asked:

- What are you doing, Mustafa?

– You see what I’m doing! – Mustafa answered. - I'm going.

- I see you coming now. What do you usually do? - asked the dervish.

Mustafa shrugged:

- What everyone usually does. I walk, sit, lie, drink, eat, trade, quarrel with my wife.

Dervish smiled slyly:

- But what are you doing, Mustafa, when you walk, sit, lie, drink or eat, when you trade, quarrel with your wife?

The amazed Mustafa replied:

– I think: what is truth? I'm looking for truth.

– Do you want to know what truth is? – all smiling, the dervish continued.

- Of all that I know, I know for sure that this is what I want to know most of all.

- The truth? This is the back of our head.

- How so? – asked Mustafa.

“She’s with us, nearby, but we don’t see her.”

- I do not understand this! - said Mustafa.

The dervish gave him a precious ring.

- Here's the key to the solution. Give this ring to the person farthest from you. And you will understand.

And having said this, he turned off the road and disappeared into the bushes before Mustafa had time to come to his senses. Mustafa looked at the ring.

Truly, he had never seen a more precious thing. No such stones, no such size, no such game! Mustafa said to himself:

- It's not difficult to do!

He took as much money as he could and hit the road. He rode camels through the sultry, dead, hot desert, every moment risking falling off and falling to death, crossed icy mountains, swam across many wide and fast rivers, walked through dense forests, tearing his skin on sharp branches, moved, almost crashing, across a boundless ocean and finally found himself at the end of the world.

Burnt by the sun, and frozen, and wounded, not like himself.

Among fields covered with eternal snow. Eternal night reigned there.

And only the stars burned over the icy desert. In the middle of a snowy field, wrapped in furs, a man sat, trembling, in front of a fire, warming himself.

He was so immersed in his thoughts that he did not notice how Mustafa approached, how Mustafa sat down by the fire and began to warm himself.

- What are you thinking about? – Mustafa finally asked, breaking the silence of the man wrapped in furs.

And the words sounded strange in the icy desert, where everything had been silent since the creation of the world.

The man wrapped in furs started as if waking from a dream and said:

– I’m thinking: is there something there...

He pointed to the sky:

- Beyond the stars!

“If there’s nothing there,” continued the man wrapped in fur, as if reasoning with himself, “then how foolishly am I spending my life!” Often I want to do this or that, but the thought stops me: what if it’s “there”? And I refuse what would give me pleasure. Every day I spend two hours in prayer, and I cry and sob, and my heart beats as it never beats again. And suddenly there is nothing there? I'm sorry for the wasted time. I'm sorry for the wasted tears, I'm sorry for the beating of my heart. These tears and this heartbeat would be found better place on the ground.

And the man, wrapped in furs, shuddered with indignation and disgust at the thought:

- What if there’s nothing there?

- And if there is?

And he shuddered with horror:

“Then how terribly I spend my life!” Only two hours a day do I do what needs to be done. If everything doesn't end here, and life just begins there? Then what, on what nonsense, on what insignificant, meaningless nonsense am I wasting all the other hours of my life!

And in the light of the fire, as if illuminated here on earth by the flames of hell, Mustafa saw the face of a man distorted from unbearable torment, who was looking at the stars with a groan:

-What is truth? Is there anything there?

And the stars were silent.

And this groan was so terrible, and this silence was so terrible that the wild animals, whose eyes, like sparks, burned in the darkness, the wild animals that came running at the sound of the voices, tucked their tails between their legs and walked away in horror.

With eyes full of tears, Mustafa hugged a man with a face distorted by suffering:

- My brother! We suffer from the same disease! Let your heart listen to my beating. They say the same thing.

And having said this, Mustafa stepped back from the man in amazement.

“I went through the universe to see the person furthest from me, but I found a brother, almost myself!”

And Mustafa sadly hid the precious ring, which he was about to put on the finger of a man sitting in front of a fire in the icy desert.

-Where else should we go? – Mustafa thought. – I don’t know the way to the stars!

And I decided to return home.

His wife greeted him with cries of joy:

“We thought you were dead!” Tell me, what business has taken you so far from home?

“I wanted to know what truth is.”

- Why do you need this?

Mustafa looked at his wife in amazement. He told her about the meeting with the dervish and showed her the precious stone.

The wife almost fainted.

- What stones! “She clasped her hands: “And you wanted to give this thing away?”

- To the person farthest from me.

The wife's face became stained.

She grabbed her head and screamed in a voice that Mustafa had never heard from her before:

-Have you seen the fool? He receives the most precious ring! Stones that have no price! And instead of giving it to his wife, he trudges across the whole world to throw such a treasure - to whom? To the person farthest from him! Like throwing a stone at someone else's dog! Why did heaven create such a fool, if not to punish his wife?! Woe is me! Woe!

And suddenly Mustafa saw that the distance between them was greater than to the smallest star, which was barely visible.

Mustafa smiled and handed his wife the precious dervish ring and said:

- Yes. You're right.

And he walked around smiling all day. And he wrote down:

“Truth is the back of our head. Here, around. But we don’t see.”

Mustafa then received bliss in heaven.

But not on earth.

Husband and wife

Persian legend

– Amazingly created light! - said the sage Jafar.

- Yes, I must admit, it’s very strange! – answered the sage Eddin.

This is what they said before the wise Shah Aibn Musi, who loved to pit wise men against each other and see what wise man would come of it.

– Not a single object can be cold and hot, heavy and light, beautiful and ugly at the same time! - said Jafar. “And only people can be close and far at the same time.”

- How is this possible? – asked the Shah.

– Let me tell you a story! – Jafar answered with a bow, pleased that he managed to capture the Shah’s attention.

And at this time Eddin was almost bursting with envy.

- He lived in the best of cities, in Tehran, Shah Gabibullin - a Shah like you. And poor Sarah lived. And they lived terribly close to each other. If the Shah wanted to make Sarrah happy and go to his hut, he would have reached before he could count to three hundred. And if Sarrah could go to the Shah’s palace, he would get there even faster, because the poor man always goes faster than the Shah: it’s more his habit. Sarah often thought about the Shah. And the Shah sometimes thought about Sarrah, because once on the way he saw Sarrah crying over the last donkey that had died, and out of his mercy he asked the name of the crying one so that he could be mentioned in his evening prayers: “Allah! Comfort Sarah! Let Sarah cry no more!”

Sarrah sometimes asked himself the question: “I would like to know what kind of horses the Shah rides? I think that they are forged with nothing other than gold, and they are so well-fed that you will simply rip your legs apart when you sit on horseback!” But now he answered himself: “What a fool I am, however! The Shah will ride on horseback! Others ride for him. And the Shah probably sleeps all day. What else should he do? Of course he's sleeping! There’s no better activity than sleeping!”

Then it occurred to Sarah:

“Well, how about eating? The Shah must and is. It’s also not a harmful activity! Hehe! He will sleep, eat and fall asleep again! This is life! And there is not just anything, but a new sheep every time. When he sees a sheep, he will slaughter it, fry it and eat it to his heart’s content. Good!.. Only I’m a fool! The Shah will become like a simple man who eats all the sheep. The Shah eats only the kidneys of the sheep. Because the kidney is the most delicious. He will slaughter a ram, eat its kidneys and slaughter another! This is the Shah’s food!”

And Sarah sighed: “And the Shah has fleas, I think!” Fatty! What are your quails! It’s not that what I have is rubbish, they have nothing to eat. And the Shah should have fleas like no one else. Fattened!”

The Shah, when he remembered Sarah crying over the dead donkey, thought:

“Poor fellow! And he looks thin. From bad food. I don’t think he has a mountain goat roasting on a spit every day. I think he eats only rice. I would like to know what he cooks pilaf with - lamb or chicken?

And the Shah wanted to see Sarah. They dressed Sarah, washed him and brought him to the Shah.

- Hello, Sarah! - said the Shah. - We are close neighbors!

- Yes, not far away! - answered Sarrah.

“And I would like to talk to you like a neighbor.” Ask me what you want. And I'll ask you.

- Glad to serve! - answered Sarrah. - And my demand is small. One thing doesn't give me peace. I know that you are strong and rich. You have many treasures, I can tell you without even looking. The fact that you have magnificent horses in your stable is nothing to think about. But tell me to show you those fleas that bite you. What treasures you have, horses, I can imagine. But I just can’t imagine your fleas!

The Shah was amazed, shrugged his shoulders, looked at everyone in surprise:

“I can’t understand what this man is talking about.” What are these fleas? What it is? This man must just be trying to confuse me. You, Sarah, that's what! Instead of talking about some kind of stones or trees, what are these “fleas” of yours? - You’d better answer my question yourself.

- Ask, Shah! - Sarrah answered with a bow. – As before the prophet, I will not hide anything.

– What do you, Sarrah, cook your pilaf with: lamb or chicken? And what do you put in there: raisins or plums?

Here Sarrah widened his eyes and looked at the Shah in amazement:

-What is pilaf? City or river?

And they looked at each other with amazement.

- So only people can be, lord, at the same time close and far from each other! - the wise Jafar finished his story.

Shah Aibn Musi laughed:

- Yes, the light is strangely designed!

And, turning to the sage Eddin, who turned green from Jafar’s success, he said:

– What do you say to this, wise Eddin?

Eddin just shrugged:

“Lord, order Jafar’s wife to be sent for!” Let her bring my answer.

And while the servants were running after Jafar’s wife, Eddin turned to the sage:

- While they are looking for your worthy wife, Jafar, please answer us a few questions. How long have you been married?

- Twenty full years! - Jafar answered.

– And you live inseparably with your wife all the time?

- What a strange question! – Jafar shrugged. - The fool wanders from place to place. The smart one sits in one place. Even sitting at home, he can mentally flow around the seas and lands. That's why he has a mind. I have never, thanks to Allah, had the need to leave Tehran - and, of course, I lived inseparably with my wife.

– Twenty years under one roof? – Eddin did not let up.

- Every house has only one roof! – Jafar shrugged.

- Tell us what your wife thinks?

- Weird question! - Jafar exclaimed. – You, Eddin, are, of course, a wise man. But today it’s as if someone else is sitting inside you and speaking for you. Kick him out, Eddin! He's talking nonsense! What can the wife of a man who is recognized by everyone as a sage think? Of course, she is glad that Allah sent her a sage to be her companion and mentor. She is happy and proud of it. That's all. I didn't ask her about this. But do people ask during the day: “is it light now?” - and at night: “Is it dark outside now?” There are things that go without saying.

At this time, Jafar's wife was brought in, all in tears. Of course, when an old woman is called to the Shah, she always cries - she thinks that she will be punished. Why call more?

The Shah, however, calmed her down with a kind word and, shouting not to cry, asked:

“Tell us, wife of Jafar, are you happy that you are married to such a sage?”

The woman, seeing that she was not being punished, took control and began to say not what she should, but what she thought.

- What happiness there! - exclaimed Jafar's wife, bursting into tears again, like a stupid cloud from which it rains twice a day. - What happiness! A husband with whom you can’t say two words, who walks and speaks as if he had memorized the Koran! A husband who thinks about what is happening in heaven and does not see that his wife’s last dress is falling off her shoulders! He looks at the moon as the last goat is taken from his yard. It's more fun to be married to a stone. You approach him with affection, - “woman, don’t bother! I think!" If you come up with abuse, “woman, don’t bother me!” I think!" We don't even have children. To be married to such a fool, who is always thinking and can’t come up with anything - what happiness! May Allah protect everyone who virtuously covers her face!

The Shah burst out laughing.

Jafar stood all red, looked at the ground, pulled his beard and stamped his foot. Eddin looked at him mockingly and, pleased that he had destroyed his opponent, said to the Shah with a deep bow:

- This is my answer, lord! This happens to people who look at the stars for a long time. They begin to look for a hat, as their destiny, among the stars, and not on their heads. What my wise adversary Jafar said is absolutely true! The light is amazingly created. Nothing can be both warm and cold at the same time, only people can be both close and far at the same time. But I’m surprised why he needed to go to the dirty hut of some Sarrah for examples and trample the floors of the Shah’s palace with his feet. It was worth looking under the roof of your own house. Shah, whenever you want to see this miracle - people who would be close and far from each other at the same time - you don’t have to go far. You will find this in any home. Take any husband and wife.

The Shah was pleased and gave Eddin a hat.

Man of Truth

Persian legend

Shah Dali Abbas loved noble and soul-elevating fun.

He loved to climb inaccessible steep cliffs, approaching aurochs, sensitive and timid. He loved to lie flat with a horse in the air and fly over chasms, rushing after mountain goats. He loved to lean his back against a tree, holding his breath, and wait for a huge black bear to come out of the thick bushes with a roar, rising on its hind legs, frightened by the screams of the beaters. He loved to scour the coastal reeds and raise furious striped tigers.

It was a pleasure for the Shah to watch how the falcon, soaring towards the very sun, fell like a stone on the white dove and how white feathers flew from under it, sparkling in the sun like snow. Or how a mighty golden eagle, having described a circle in the air, rushed at a red fox jumping in the thick grass. The dogs, tailbones and hawks of the Shah were famous even among neighboring peoples.

Not a single one passed new moon without the Shah going somewhere hunting.

And then the Shah’s entourage flew in advance to the province that the Shah had designated for hunting, and said to the local ruler:

- Celebrate! Unheard of joy befalls your region! On such and such a day two suns will rise in your region. The Shah is coming to hunt you.

The ruler grabbed his head:

- Allah! And they won’t let you sleep properly! That's life! Better to die! Much calmer! My punishment is from Allah! Angry!

The ruler's servants galloped through the villages:

- Hey you! Fools! Stop your low activities! Enough of you plowing, sowing, and shearing your black sheep! Throw away fields, houses, herds! Will take care of maintaining your insignificant life! There is something more elevated! The Shah himself is coming to our region! Go build roads, build bridges, lay paths!

And by the time the Shah arrived, it was impossible to recognize the region.

The Shah rode along a wide road along which six horsemen rode calmly in a row. Bridges hung across the chasms.

Even the most inaccessible rocks had paths leading to them. And along the edges of the road stood the villagers, dressed as best they could. Many even had green turbans on their heads. They were deliberately forced to dress as if these people were in Mecca .

End of introductory fragment.

* * *

The given introductory fragment of the book Wisdom of the East. Parables about love, goodness, happiness and the benefits of science (Evgeniy Taran) provided by our book partner -

An Eastern parable is essentially a short story, presented in simple, understandable language. This is a special form of transmitting vital information. What is difficult to describe in ordinary words is presented in the form of a story.

Peculiarities of perception

An adult has well-developed logic, the habit of thinking in words and abstract categories. This way of thinking has been carefully mastered over the course of school years. In his childhood, he more actively used figurative language - lively, informal, using the resources of the right hemisphere of the brain, which is responsible for creativity and creativity.

The Eastern parable, bypassing logic and pragmatism, addresses directly to the heart. A certain example reveals something very important, but usually escapes attention. With the help of metaphors and allegories, the imagination is activated and the deep strings of the soul are touched. A person does not think so much as feel at this moment. He may even shed a tear or even cry.

Insight as a consequence

A small instructive story, which is an Eastern parable, can in a completely incomprehensible way trigger a reboot of the usual thought process. A person suddenly realizes something that for a long time could not penetrate his consciousness. He has an insight.

Thanks to insight, a person’s self-perception and attitude change. For example, oppressive feelings of duty or guilt are transformed into deep self-acceptance. The feeling of hostility and injustice leads to the understanding that the world is beautiful and multifaceted. The reasons for any difficult situation, finally find a way out of it.

The value of a parable

Eastern cultures have always been famous for their special atmosphere, mystery, and penchant for contemplation. Philosophical views were distinguished by a holistic approach to life. Ancient spiritual teachings focused on the balance of man’s relationship with nature, expanding the mental and physical capabilities of his body.

Therefore, the Eastern parable is imbued with harmonizing truths. She attunes people to the enduring life values. Since ancient times, it has been used as a form of providing verbal support. This is her great gift.

She shows the way

Eastern parables about life place certain patterns, rules, instructions in the focus of a person’s attention; show the multifaceted nature of the world and the relativity of everything. This is the parable about an elephant and the blind elders studying it from different sides - trunk, tusk, back, ear, leg, tail. Despite all the inconsistencies, even outright contradictions in judgments, everyone turns out to be right in their own way. Such examples help to overcome categoricalness, develop understanding, tolerance both towards oneself and towards others.

Eastern draws a person’s attention to his inner world and promotes reflection. It forces you to look closely at your priorities, the choices you make every day, to identify the predominance of a tendency towards negativism, destruction or constructiveness and creation. Promotes understanding of exactly what motives drive actions: fear, envy, pride or love, hope, kindness. By analogy with the parable of the two wolves, what is fed increases.

Eastern help a person to place emphasis in his life in such a way that he finds more reasons and reasons to feel happy than vice versa. Always remember the most important things, appreciate, cherish and enjoy them. And don’t grieve or become despondent over unimportant things. Find inner peace, establish balance.

Fount of wisdom

Tell interesting stories- a fairly stable tradition of humanity. It's a fun and exciting pastime. Often even very educational. This is how experience is exchanged and knowledge is transferred. Parables about life are popular today. This is great, because they contain countless treasures - grains of life-giving wisdom.

Parables bring many benefits to people. Simply, unobtrusively, they help refocus attention from the secondary to the main, from problems to positive aspects. They teach the desire for self-sufficiency and achieving balance. Reminds us of the need to accept ourselves, others, the world as they are. They encourage you to relax and just be yourself, because that’s how it should be.

Change begins with a parable

Wisdom packaged in a parable allows you to take a different look at a particular event or life in general. And as a result, redistribute the emphasis in the perception of familiar situations, change priorities, see hidden patterns, cause-and-effect relationships. Thanks to this, it becomes possible to evaluate your beliefs and actions from new positions and, if desired, make adjustments.

Life is made up of little things. By changing small habits, a person changes his actions, behavior, and character. Then his fate changes. Thus, the right parable at the right moment can work wonders.

The madman is consoled by the past,

weak-minded - future,

smart - real.

Eastern wisdom.

Since ancient times, people in Rus' have loved parables, interpreted biblical ones and composed their own. True, sometimes they were confused with fables. And already in the 18th century, the writer A.P. Sumarokov called his book of fables “Parables”. Parables are really like fables. However, a fable is different from a parable.

A parable is a small moralizing story, like a fable, but without morality, without direct instruction.

The parable does not teach, but gives a hint of teaching; it is a delicate creation of the people.

In parables, in an ordinary, everyday case, a universal meaning is hidden - a lesson for all people, but not everyone, but very few, can see this meaning.

Parables immerse us in an imaginary world where anything is possible, but, as a rule, this world is simply a moralizing reflection of reality.

A parable is not a fictional story; it is, first of all, a story about real events that took place at all times. From generation to generation, parables, like oral folk art, were passed on from mouth to mouth, supplemented with details, some details, but at the same time they did not lose their wisdom and simplicity. IN different times, V different countries, many people, when making responsible decisions, looked for the answer in parables and cautionary tales that have survived to this day.

Parables describe stories that happen to us in Everyday life every day. If you pay attention, you will probably notice that many of the events described in the parables are very similar to our everyday situations. And the question is how to react to this. The parable teaches us to look at things soberly and act wisely, without excessive emotionality.

At first glance, it may seem that the parable does not convey any useful information, but this is only at first glance. If you didn’t like the parable, seemed incomprehensible, stupid or meaningless, this does not mean that the parable is bad. You just may not be prepared enough to understand this parable. Rereading the parables, each time you can find something new in them.

The parables collected in this book came to us from the East - there people gathered in teahouses and listened to the storytellers of the parables over a cup of coffee or tea.

Life truth

Three important questions

The ruler of one country strove for all wisdom. Once he heard rumors that there was a certain hermit who knew the answers to all questions. The ruler came to him and saw: a decrepit old man, digging a garden bed. He jumped off his horse and bowed to the old man.

– I came to get an answer to three questions: who is the most important person on earth, what is the most important thing in life, what day is more important than all the others.

The hermit did not answer and continued to dig. The ruler undertook to help him.

Suddenly he sees a man walking along the road - his whole face is covered in blood.

The ruler stopped him, consoled him with a kind word, brought water from the stream, washed and bandaged the traveler’s wounds. Then he took him to the hermit’s hut and put him to bed.

The next morning he looks and the hermit is sowing the garden bed.

“Hermit,” the ruler begged, “won’t you answer my questions?”

“You already answered them yourself,” he said.

- How? – the ruler was amazed.

“Seeing my old age and weakness, you took pity on me and volunteered to help,” said the hermit. “While you were digging the garden bed, I was the most important person for you, and helping me was the most important thing for you.” A wounded man appeared - his need was more acute than mine. And he became the most important person for you, and helping him became the most important thing. It turns out that the most important person is the one who needs your help. And the most important thing is the good that you do to him.

“Now I can answer my third question: which day in a person’s life is more important than others,” said the ruler. – The most important day is today.

Most valuable

One person in childhood was very friendly with an old neighbor.

But time passed, school and hobbies appeared, then work and personal life. The young man was busy every minute, and he had no time to remember the past, or even to be with his loved ones.

One day he found out that his neighbor had died - and suddenly remembered: the old man taught him a lot, trying to replace the boy’s dead father. Feeling guilty, he came to the funeral.

In the evening, after the burial, the man entered the empty house of the deceased. Everything was the same as many years ago...

But the small golden box, in which, according to the old man, the most valuable thing for him was kept, disappeared from the table. Thinking that one of her few relatives had taken her, the man left the house.

However, two weeks later he received the package. Seeing his neighbor's name on it, the man shuddered and opened the parcel.

Inside was the same golden box. It contained a gold pocket watch with an engraving: “Thank you for the time you spent with me.”

And he realized that the most valuable thing for the old man was the time spent with his little friend.

Since then, the man tried to devote as much time as possible to his wife and son.

Life is not measured by the number of breaths. It is measured by the number of moments that make us hold our breath.

Time is running away from us every second. And it needs to be spent usefully right now.

Life as it is

I will tell you a parable: in ancient times, a grief-stricken woman who had lost her son came to Gautama Buddha. And she began to pray to the Almighty to return her child to her. And Buddha ordered the woman to return to the village and collect a mustard seed from each family in which at least one member would not be burned on the funeral pyre. And having walked around her village and many others, the poor thing did not find a single such family. And the woman realized that death is a natural and inevitable outcome for all living. And the woman accepted her life as it is, with its inevitable departure into oblivion, with the eternal cycle of lives.

Butterflies and fire

Three butterflies, flying up to a burning candle, began to talk about the nature of fire. One, flying up to the flame, returned and said:

- The fire is shining.

Another flew closer and scorched the wing. Arriving back, she said:

- It burns!

The third, flying very close, disappeared in the fire and did not return. She found out what she wanted to know, but she could no longer tell the rest about it.

The one who has received knowledge is deprived of the opportunity to talk about it, so the one who knows is silent, and the one who speaks does not know.

Understand fate

Zhuang Tzu's wife died, and Hui Tzu came to mourn her. Chuang Tzu squatted and sang songs while hitting the pelvis. Hui Tzu said:

“Not mourning the deceased who lived with you until old age and raised your children is too much.” But singing songs while hitting the pelvis is simply no good!

“You are wrong,” replied Chuang Tzu. – When she died, could I not be sad at first? As I grieved, I began to think about what she was like in the beginning, before she was born. And not only was she not born, but she was not yet a body. And not only was she not a body, she was not even a breath. I realized that she was scattered in the emptiness of boundless chaos.

Chaos turned - and she became breathing. The breath turned and she became the body. The body transformed and she was born. Now a new transformation has come - and she died. All this changed each other, just as the four seasons alternate. Man is buried in an abyss of transformations, as if in the chambers of a huge house.

Money can not buy happiness

The student asked the Master:

– How true are the words that money does not buy happiness?

He replied that they were completely correct. And it's easy to prove.

For money can buy a bed, but not sleep; food, but no appetite; medicines, but not health; servants, but not friends; women, but not love; home, but not home; entertainment, but not joy; education, but not intelligence.

And what is named does not exhaust the list.

Walk straight!

Once upon a time there lived a woodcutter who was in very distress. He lived on the insignificant sums of money earned from firewood, which he brought to the city on his own from the nearby forest.

One day a sannyasin passing along the road saw him at work and advised him to go further into the forest, saying:

- Go forward, go forward!

The woodcutter listened to the advice, went into the forest and walked forward until he reached a sandalwood tree. He was very pleased with this find, cut down the tree and, taking with him as many pieces of it as he could carry, sold them at the market for a good price. Then he began to wonder why the good sannyasin did not tell him that there was a sandalwood tree in the forest, but simply advised him to go forward.

The next day, having reached the felled tree, he went further and found copper deposits. He took with him as much copper as he could carry and, selling it at the market, earned even more money.

The next day he found gold, then diamonds, and finally acquired enormous wealth.

This is precisely the position of a person who strives for true knowledge: If he does not stop in his progress after achieving some paranormal powers, he will eventually find the wealth of eternal Knowledge and Truth.

Two snowflakes

It was snowing. The weather was calm, and large fluffy snowflakes slowly circled in a bizarre dance, slowly approaching the ground.

Two snowflakes flying nearby decided to start a conversation. Afraid of losing each other, they held hands, and one of them cheerfully said:

– How good it is to fly, enjoy the flight!

“We don’t fly, we just fall,” the second answered sadly.

“Soon we will meet the earth and turn into a white fluffy blanket!”

- No, we are flying towards death, and on the ground they will simply trample us.

“We will become streams and rush to the sea.” We will live forever! - said the first one.

“No, we will melt and disappear forever,” the second objected to her.

Finally they got tired of arguing. They unclenched their hands, and each flew towards the fate that she herself had chosen.

Great good

A rich man asked a Zen master to write something good and encouraging, something that would bring great benefit to his entire family. “It must be something that each member of our family thinks about in relation to others,” said the rich man.

He gave a large piece of snow-white expensive paper, on which the master wrote: “The father will die, the son will die, the grandson will die. And all in one day."

The rich man was furious when he read what the master wrote to him: “I asked you to write something good for my family, so that it would bring joy and prosperity to my family. Why did you write something that upsets me?”

“If your son dies before you,” the master answered, “it will be an irreparable loss for your entire family. If your grandson dies before your son dies, it will be a great grief for everyone. But if your entire family, generation after generation, dies on the same day, it will be a real gift of fate. This will be a great happiness and benefit for your entire family.”

Heaven and Hell

Once upon a time there lived one man. And he spent most of his life trying to figure out the difference between hell and heaven. He thought about this topic day and night.

And then one day he had an unusual dream. He went to hell. And he sees people there sitting in front of pots of food. And everyone has a large spoon with a very long handle in their hand. But these people look hungry, thin and exhausted. They can scoop from the cauldron, but they won’t get into your mouth. And they swear, fight, hit each other with spoons.

Suddenly another person runs up to him and shouts:

- Hey, let's go faster, I'll show you the road leading to heaven.

They arrived in paradise. And they see people there sitting in front of pots of food. And everyone has a large spoon with a very long handle in their hand. But they look full, satisfied and happy. When we looked closely, we saw that they were feeding each other. Man should go to man with goodness - this is heaven.

The secret of happiness

One merchant sent his son to seek the secret of happiness from the wisest of all people. The young man walked through the desert for forty days and finally came to a beautiful castle that stood on the top of a mountain. There lived the sage whom he was looking for.

However, instead of the expected meeting with the holy man, our hero entered a hall where everything was seething: merchants came and went, people chatted in the corner, a small orchestra played sweet melodies and there was a table laden with the most exquisite dishes of the area. The sage talked to different people, and the young man had to wait about two hours for his turn.

The sage listened carefully to the young man's explanations about the purpose of his visit, but said in response that he did not have time to reveal to him the secret of happiness. And he invited him to take a walk around the palace and come again in two hours.

“However, I want to ask one favor,” the sage added, handing the young man a small spoon into which he dropped two drops of oil:

– While walking, hold this spoon in your hand so that the oil does not spill out.

The young man began to go up and down the palace stairs, not taking his eyes off the spoon. Two hours later he came to the sage again

- Well, how? - he asked. – Have you seen the Persian rugs that are in my dining room? Have you seen the park that the head gardener took ten years to create? Have you noticed the beautiful parchments in my library?

The young man, embarrassed, had to admit that he did not see anything. His only concern was not to spill the drops of oil that the Sage entrusted to him.

“Well, come back and get acquainted with the wonders of my universe,” the Sage told him. – You cannot trust a person if you are unfamiliar with the house in which he lives.

Reassured, the young man took the spoon and again went for a walk around the palace, this time paying attention to all the works of art hanging on the walls and ceilings of the palace. He saw gardens surrounded by mountains, the most delicate flowers, the sophistication with which each piece of art was placed exactly where it was needed. Returning to the sage, he described in detail everything he saw.

– Where are the two drops of oil that I entrusted to you? - asked the sage.

And the young man, looking at the spoon, discovered that the oil had spilled out.

- This is the only advice I can give you: the secret of happiness is to look at all the wonders of the world, never forgetting about two drops of oil in a spoon.

Sermon

One day the mullah decided to appeal to the believers. But one young groom came to listen to him. The mullah thought to himself, “Should I speak or not?” And he decided to ask the groom:

- There is no one here except you, what do you think, should I speak or not?

The groom replied:

“Sir, I’m a simple person, I don’t understand anything about this.” But when I come to the stable and see that all the horses have run away and only one remains, I will still give her something to eat.

The mullah, taking these words to heart, began his sermon. He spoke for more than two hours, and when he finished, he felt relieved. He wanted to hear confirmation of how good his speech was. He asked:

– How did you like my sermon?

– I have already said that I am a simple person and I don’t really understand all this. But if I come to the stable and see that all the horses have run away and only one remains, I will still feed her. But I won't give her all the feed that is meant for all horses.

A parable about positive thinking

An old Chinese teacher once said to his student:

– Please take a good look around this room and try to notice everything in it that is brown.

The young man looked around. There were many brown objects in the room: wooden picture frames, a sofa, a curtain rod, desks, book bindings and many other small things.

“Now close your eyes and list all the objects... blue,” the teacher asked.

The young man was confused:

– But I didn’t notice anything!

Then the teacher said:

- Open your eyes. Just look at how many blue things there are here.

It was true: blue vase, blue photo frames, blue carpet, blue shirt of the old teacher.

And the teacher said:

- Look at all these missing items!

The student replied:

- But this is a trick! After all, at your direction, I was looking for brown, not blue objects.

The teacher sighed quietly, and then smiled: “That’s exactly what I wanted to show you.” You searched and found only brown. The same thing happens to you in life. You search and find only the bad and miss the good.

I was always taught that you should expect the worst and then you will never be disappointed. And if the worst does not happen, then a pleasant surprise awaits me. And if I always hope for the best, then I will only expose myself to the risk of disappointment.

We should not lose sight of all the good things that happen in our lives. If you expect the worst, you will definitely get it. And vice versa.

It is possible to find a point of view from which every experience will have positive value. From now on, you will look for something positive in everything and everyone.

How to achieve the goal?

A great master of archery named Drona taught his students. He hung a target on a tree and asked each of the students what he saw.

One said:

– I see a tree and a target on it.

Another said:

- I see a tree rising Sun, birds in the sky...

Everyone else answered about the same.

Then Drona approached his best disciple Arjuna and asked:

-What do you see?

He replied:

“I can’t see anything but the target.”

And Drona said:

“Only such a person can hit the target.”

hidden treasures

IN ancient india There lived a poor man whose name was Ali Hafed.

One day a Buddhist priest came to him and told him how the world was created: “Once upon a time the earth was a complete fog. And then the Almighty stretched out his fingers to the fog, and it turned into a ball of fire. And this ball rushed around the universe until rain fell on the ground and cooled its surface. Then the fire, breaking the earth's surface, burst out. This is how mountains and valleys, hills and prairies arose.

When the molten mass flowing down the surface of the earth cooled quickly, it turned into granite. If it cooled slowly, it became copper, silver or gold. And after gold, diamonds were created.

“A diamond,” said the sage Ali Hafed, “is a frozen drop of sunlight.” If you had a diamond the size of thumb hands,” continued the priest, “then you could buy the whole district.” But if you owned diamond deposits, you could put all your children on the throne, all thanks to your enormous wealth.

Ali Hafed learned everything there was to know about diamonds that evening. But he went to bed, as always, a poor man. He lost nothing, but he was poor because he was not satisfied, and he was not satisfied because he was afraid of being poor.

Ali Hafed did not sleep a wink all night. He thought only about diamond deposits.

Early in the morning he woke up the old Buddhist priest and began to beg him to tell him where to find the diamonds. The priest did not agree at first. But Ali Hafed was so persistent that the old man finally said:

- OK then. You must find a river that flows in the white sands among the high mountains. There, in these white sands, you will find diamonds.

And then Ali Hafed sold his farm, left his family with a neighbor and went to look for diamonds. He walked further and further, but could not find the treasure. In complete despair, he committed suicide by throwing himself into the sea.

One day, the man who bought Ali Hafed's farm decided to water the camel in the garden. And when the camel poked its nose into the stream, this man suddenly noticed a strange sparkle coming from the white sand from the bottom of the stream. He put his hands into the water and pulled out the stone from which this fiery glow emanated. He brought this unusual stone home and put it on the shelf.

One day the same old Buddhist priest came to visit the new owner. Opening the door, he immediately saw a glow above the fireplace. He rushed towards him and exclaimed:

- It's a diamond! Ali Hafed is back?

“No,” answered Ali Hafed’s successor. – Ali Hafed did not return. And this is a simple stone that I found in my stream.

- You're wrong! - exclaimed the priest. “I recognize a diamond from a thousand other precious stones.” I swear to all that is holy, it's a diamond!

And then they went into the garden and dug up all the white sand in the stream. And in it they found gems, even more amazing and more valuable than the first. The most valuable things are always nearby.

And they saw God

One day it happened that three saints were walking together through the forest. All their lives they worked selflessly: one was a follower of the path of devotion, love and prayer. The other is the paths of knowledge, wisdom and intelligence. The third is action, service, duty.

Despite the fact that they were dedicated seekers, they did not achieve the desired results and did not know God.

But that day a miracle happened!

Suddenly it started to rain, they ran to a small chapel, squeezed inside and huddled close to each other. And the moment they touched each other, they felt that they were no longer three. Startled in surprise, they looked at each other.

A higher presence was clearly felt. Gradually it became more and more visible and radiating. It was such an ecstasy to see the divine light!

They fell to their knees and prayed:

- Lord, why did you suddenly come? We worked all our lives, but we were not given such an honor to see You, why did this suddenly happen today?

And God said:

- Because today you are all here together. By touching each other, you became one and therefore saw me. I was always with each of you, but you could not manifest me because you were only fragments. In unity comes a miracle.

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V. A. Chastnikova
Parables of the East. Branch of Wisdom

The madman is consoled by the past,

weak-minded - future,

smart - real.

Eastern wisdom.

Since ancient times, people in Rus' have loved parables, interpreted biblical ones and composed their own. True, sometimes they were confused with fables. And already in the 18th century, the writer A.P. Sumarokov called his book of fables “Parables”. Parables are really like fables. However, a fable is different from a parable.

A parable is a small moralizing story, like a fable, but without morality, without direct instruction.

The parable does not teach, but gives a hint of teaching; it is a delicate creation of the people.

In parables, in an ordinary, everyday case, a universal meaning is hidden - a lesson for all people, but not everyone, but very few, can see this meaning.

Parables immerse us in an imaginary world where anything is possible, but, as a rule, this world is simply a moralizing reflection of reality.

A parable is not a fictional story; it is, first of all, a story about real events that took place at all times. From generation to generation, parables, like oral folk art, were passed on from mouth to mouth, supplemented with details, some details, but at the same time they did not lose their wisdom and simplicity. At different times, in different countries, many people, when making responsible decisions, looked for the answer in parables and instructive stories that have survived to this day.

Parables describe stories that happen to us in everyday life every day. If you pay attention, you will probably notice that many of the events described in the parables are very similar to our everyday situations. And the question is how to react to this. The parable teaches us to look at things soberly and act wisely, without excessive emotionality.

At first glance, it may seem that the parable does not convey any useful information, but this is only at first glance. If you didn’t like the parable, seemed incomprehensible, stupid or meaningless, this does not mean that the parable is bad. You just may not be prepared enough to understand this parable. Rereading the parables, each time you can find something new in them.

The parables collected in this book came to us from the East - there people gathered in teahouses and listened to the storytellers of the parables over a cup of coffee or tea.

Life truth

Three important questions

The ruler of one country strove for all wisdom. Once he heard rumors that there was a certain hermit who knew the answers to all questions. The ruler came to him and saw: a decrepit old man, digging a garden bed. He jumped off his horse and bowed to the old man.

– I came to get an answer to three questions: who is the most important person on earth, what is the most important thing in life, what day is more important than all the others.

The hermit did not answer and continued to dig. The ruler undertook to help him.

Suddenly he sees a man walking along the road - his whole face is covered in blood. The ruler stopped him, consoled him with a kind word, brought water from the stream, washed and bandaged the traveler’s wounds. Then he took him to the hermit’s hut and put him to bed.

The next morning he looks and the hermit is sowing the garden bed.

“Hermit,” the ruler begged, “won’t you answer my questions?”

“You already answered them yourself,” he said.

- How? – the ruler was amazed.

“Seeing my old age and weakness, you took pity on me and volunteered to help,” said the hermit. “While you were digging the garden bed, I was the most important person for you, and helping me was the most important thing for you.” A wounded man appeared - his need was more acute than mine. And he became the most important person for you, and helping him became the most important thing. It turns out that the most important person is the one who needs your help. And the most important thing is the good that you do to him.

“Now I can answer my third question: which day in a person’s life is more important than others,” said the ruler. – The most important day is today.

Most valuable

One person in childhood was very friendly with an old neighbor.

But time passed, school and hobbies appeared, then work and personal life. The young man was busy every minute, and he had no time to remember the past, or even to be with his loved ones.

One day he found out that his neighbor had died - and suddenly remembered: the old man taught him a lot, trying to replace the boy’s dead father. Feeling guilty, he came to the funeral.

In the evening, after the burial, the man entered the empty house of the deceased. Everything was the same as many years ago...

But the small golden box, in which, according to the old man, the most valuable thing for him was kept, disappeared from the table. Thinking that one of her few relatives had taken her, the man left the house.

However, two weeks later he received the package. Seeing his neighbor's name on it, the man shuddered and opened the parcel.

Inside was the same golden box. It contained a gold pocket watch with an engraving: “Thank you for the time you spent with me.”

And he realized that the most valuable thing for the old man was the time spent with his little friend.

Since then, the man tried to devote as much time as possible to his wife and son.

Life is not measured by the number of breaths. It is measured by the number of moments that make us hold our breath.

Time is running away from us every second. And it needs to be spent usefully right now.

Life as it is

I will tell you a parable: in ancient times, a grief-stricken woman who had lost her son came to Gautama Buddha. And she began to pray to the Almighty to return her child to her. And Buddha ordered the woman to return to the village and collect a mustard seed from each family in which at least one member would not be burned on the funeral pyre. And having walked around her village and many others, the poor thing did not find a single such family. And the woman realized that death is a natural and inevitable outcome for all living. And the woman accepted her life as it is, with its inevitable departure into oblivion, with the eternal cycle of lives.

Butterflies and fire

Three butterflies, flying up to a burning candle, began to talk about the nature of fire. One, flying up to the flame, returned and said:

- The fire is shining.

Another flew closer and scorched the wing. Arriving back, she said:

- It burns!

The third, flying very close, disappeared in the fire and did not return. She found out what she wanted to know, but she could no longer tell the rest about it.

The one who has received knowledge is deprived of the opportunity to talk about it, so the one who knows is silent, and the one who speaks does not know.

Understand fate

Zhuang Tzu's wife died, and Hui Tzu came to mourn her. Chuang Tzu squatted and sang songs while hitting the pelvis. Hui Tzu said:

“Not mourning the deceased who lived with you until old age and raised your children is too much.” But singing songs while hitting the pelvis is simply no good!

“You are wrong,” replied Chuang Tzu. – When she died, could I not be sad at first? As I grieved, I began to think about what she was like in the beginning, before she was born. And not only was she not born, but she was not yet a body. And not only was she not a body, she was not even a breath. I realized that she was scattered in the emptiness of boundless chaos.

Chaos turned - and she became breathing. The breath turned and she became the body. The body transformed and she was born. Now a new transformation has come - and she died. All this changed each other, just as the four seasons alternate. Man is buried in an abyss of transformations, as if in the chambers of a huge house.

Money can not buy happiness

The student asked the Master:

– How true are the words that money does not buy happiness?

He replied that they were completely correct. And it's easy to prove.

For money can buy a bed, but not sleep; food, but no appetite; medicines, but not health; servants, but not friends; women, but not love; home, but not home; entertainment, but not joy; education, but not intelligence.

And what is named does not exhaust the list.

Walk straight!

Once upon a time there lived a woodcutter who was in very distress. He lived on the insignificant sums of money earned from firewood, which he brought to the city on his own from the nearby forest.

One day a sannyasin passing along the road saw him at work and advised him to go further into the forest, saying:

- Go forward, go forward!

The woodcutter listened to the advice, went into the forest and walked forward until he reached a sandalwood tree. He was very pleased with this find, cut down the tree and, taking with him as many pieces of it as he could carry, sold them at the market for a good price. Then he began to wonder why the good sannyasin did not tell him that there was a sandalwood tree in the forest, but simply advised him to go forward.

The next day, having reached the felled tree, he went further and found copper deposits. He took with him as much copper as he could carry and, selling it at the market, earned even more money.

The next day he found gold, then diamonds, and finally acquired enormous wealth.

This is exactly the situation of a person who strives for true knowledge: if he does not stop in his progress after achieving some paranormal powers, he will eventually find the wealth of eternal Knowledge and Truth.

Two snowflakes

It was snowing. The weather was calm, and large fluffy snowflakes slowly circled in a bizarre dance, slowly approaching the ground.

Two snowflakes flying nearby decided to start a conversation. Afraid of losing each other, they held hands, and one of them cheerfully said:

– How good it is to fly, enjoy the flight!

“We don’t fly, we just fall,” the second answered sadly.

“Soon we will meet the earth and turn into a white fluffy blanket!”

- No, we are flying towards death, and on the ground they will simply trample us.

“We will become streams and rush to the sea.” We will live forever! - said the first one.

“No, we will melt and disappear forever,” the second objected to her.

Finally they got tired of arguing. They unclenched their hands, and each flew towards the fate that she herself had chosen.

Great good

A rich man asked a Zen master to write something good and encouraging, something that would bring great benefit to his entire family. “It must be something that each member of our family thinks about in relation to others,” said the rich man.

He gave a large piece of snow-white expensive paper, on which the master wrote: “The father will die, the son will die, the grandson will die. And all in one day."

The rich man was furious when he read what the master wrote to him: “I asked you to write something good for my family, so that it would bring joy and prosperity to my family. Why did you write something that upsets me?”

“If your son dies before you,” the master answered, “it will be an irreparable loss for your entire family. If your grandson dies before your son dies, it will be a great grief for everyone. But if your entire family, generation after generation, dies on the same day, it will be a real gift of fate. This will be a great happiness and benefit for your entire family.”

Heaven and Hell

Once upon a time there lived one man. And he spent most of his life trying to figure out the difference between hell and heaven. He thought about this topic day and night.

And then one day he had an unusual dream. He went to hell. And he sees people there sitting in front of pots of food. And everyone has a large spoon with a very long handle in their hand. But these people look hungry, thin and exhausted. They can scoop from the cauldron, but they won’t get into your mouth. And they swear, fight, hit each other with spoons.

Suddenly another person runs up to him and shouts:

- Hey, let's go faster, I'll show you the road leading to heaven.

They arrived in paradise. And they see people there sitting in front of pots of food. And everyone has a large spoon with a very long handle in their hand. But they look full, satisfied and happy. When we looked closely, we saw that they were feeding each other. Man should go to man with goodness - this is heaven.

The secret of happiness

One merchant sent his son to seek the secret of happiness from the wisest of all people. The young man walked through the desert for forty days and finally came to a beautiful castle that stood on the top of a mountain. There lived the sage whom he was looking for.

However, instead of the expected meeting with the holy man, our hero entered a hall where everything was seething: merchants came and went, people chatted in the corner, a small orchestra played sweet melodies and there was a table laden with the most exquisite dishes of the area. The sage talked with different people, and the young man had to wait about two hours for his turn.

The sage listened carefully to the young man's explanations about the purpose of his visit, but said in response that he did not have time to reveal to him the secret of happiness. And he invited him to take a walk around the palace and come again in two hours.

“However, I want to ask one favor,” the sage added, handing the young man a small spoon into which he dropped two drops of oil:

– While walking, hold this spoon in your hand so that the oil does not spill out.

The young man began to go up and down the palace stairs, not taking his eyes off the spoon. Two hours later he came to the sage again

- Well, how? - he asked. – Have you seen the Persian rugs that are in my dining room? Have you seen the park that the head gardener took ten years to create? Have you noticed the beautiful parchments in my library?

The young man, embarrassed, had to admit that he did not see anything. His only concern was not to spill the drops of oil that the Sage entrusted to him.

“Well, come back and get acquainted with the wonders of my universe,” the Sage told him. – You cannot trust a person if you are unfamiliar with the house in which he lives.

Reassured, the young man took the spoon and again went for a walk around the palace, this time paying attention to all the works of art hanging on the walls and ceilings of the palace. He saw gardens surrounded by mountains, the most delicate flowers, the sophistication with which each piece of art was placed exactly where it was needed. Returning to the sage, he described in detail everything he saw.

– Where are the two drops of oil that I entrusted to you? - asked the sage.

And the young man, looking at the spoon, discovered that the oil had spilled out.

- This is the only advice I can give you: the secret of happiness is to look at all the wonders of the world, never forgetting about two drops of oil in a spoon.

Sermon

One day the mullah decided to appeal to the believers. But one young groom came to listen to him. The mullah thought to himself, “Should I speak or not?” And he decided to ask the groom:

- There is no one here except you, what do you think, should I speak or not?

The groom replied:

“Sir, I’m a simple person, I don’t understand anything about this.” But when I come to the stable and see that all the horses have run away and only one remains, I will still give her something to eat.

The mullah, taking these words to heart, began his sermon. He spoke for more than two hours, and when he finished, he felt relieved. He wanted to hear confirmation of how good his speech was. He asked:

– How did you like my sermon?

– I have already said that I am a simple person and I don’t really understand all this. But if I come to the stable and see that all the horses have run away and only one remains, I will still feed her. But I won't give her all the feed that is meant for all horses.

A parable about positive thinking

An old Chinese teacher once said to his student:

– Please take a good look around this room and try to notice everything in it that is brown.

The young man looked around. There were many brown objects in the room: wooden picture frames, a sofa, a curtain rod, desks, book bindings and many other small things.

“Now close your eyes and list all the objects... blue,” the teacher asked.

The young man was confused:

– But I didn’t notice anything!

Then the teacher said:

- Open your eyes. Just look at how many blue things there are here.

It was true: blue vase, blue photo frames, blue carpet, blue shirt of the old teacher.

And the teacher said:

- Look at all these missing items!

The student replied:

- But this is a trick! After all, at your direction, I was looking for brown, not blue objects.

The teacher sighed quietly, and then smiled: “That’s exactly what I wanted to show you.” You searched and found only brown. The same thing happens to you in life. You search and find only the bad and miss the good.

I was always taught that you should expect the worst and then you will never be disappointed. And if the worst does not happen, then a pleasant surprise awaits me. And if I always hope for the best, then I will only expose myself to the risk of disappointment.

We should not lose sight of all the good things that happen in our lives. If you expect the worst, you will definitely get it. And vice versa.

It is possible to find a point of view from which every experience has a positive meaning. From now on, you will look for something positive in everything and everyone.

How to achieve the goal?

A great master of archery named Drona taught his students. He hung a target on a tree and asked each of the students what he saw.

One said:

– I see a tree and a target on it.

Another said:

– I see a tree, the rising sun, birds in the sky...

Everyone else answered about the same.

Then Drona approached his best disciple Arjuna and asked:

-What do you see?

He replied:

“I can’t see anything but the target.”

And Drona said:

“Only such a person can hit the target.”

hidden treasures

In ancient India there lived a poor man whose name was Ali Hafed.

One day a Buddhist priest came to him and told him how the world was created: “Once upon a time the earth was a complete fog. And then the Almighty stretched out his fingers to the fog, and it turned into a ball of fire. And this ball rushed around the universe until rain fell on the ground and cooled its surface. Then the fire, breaking the earth's surface, burst out. This is how mountains and valleys, hills and prairies arose.

When the molten mass flowing down the surface of the earth cooled quickly, it turned into granite. If it cooled slowly, it became copper, silver or gold. And after gold, diamonds were created.

“A diamond,” said the sage Ali Hafed, “is a frozen drop of sunlight.” “If you had a diamond the size of your thumb,” the priest continued, “you could buy the entire neighborhood.” But if you owned diamond deposits, you could put all your children on the throne, all thanks to your enormous wealth.

Ali Hafed learned everything there was to know about diamonds that evening. But he went to bed, as always, a poor man. He lost nothing, but he was poor because he was not satisfied, and he was not satisfied because he was afraid of being poor.

Ali Hafed did not sleep a wink all night. He thought only about diamond deposits.

Early in the morning he woke up the old Buddhist priest and began to beg him to tell him where to find the diamonds. The priest did not agree at first. But Ali Hafed was so persistent that the old man finally said:

- OK then. You must find a river that flows in the white sands among the high mountains. There, in these white sands, you will find diamonds.

And then Ali Hafed sold his farm, left his family with a neighbor and went to look for diamonds. He walked further and further, but could not find the treasure. In complete despair, he committed suicide by throwing himself into the sea.

One day, the man who bought Ali Hafed's farm decided to water the camel in the garden. And when the camel poked its nose into the stream, this man suddenly noticed a strange sparkle coming from the white sand from the bottom of the stream. He put his hands into the water and pulled out the stone from which this fiery glow emanated. He brought this unusual stone home and put it on the shelf.

One day the same old Buddhist priest came to visit the new owner. Opening the door, he immediately saw a glow above the fireplace. He rushed towards him and exclaimed:

- It's a diamond! Ali Hafed is back?

“No,” answered Ali Hafed’s successor. – Ali Hafed did not return. And this is a simple stone that I found in my stream.

- You're wrong! - exclaimed the priest. “I recognize a diamond from a thousand other precious stones.” I swear to all that is holy, it's a diamond!

And then they went into the garden and dug up all the white sand in the stream. And in it they discovered precious stones, even more amazing and more valuable than the first. The most valuable things are always nearby.

And they saw God

One day it happened that three saints were walking together through the forest. All their lives they worked selflessly: one was a follower of the path of devotion, love and prayer. The other is the paths of knowledge, wisdom and intelligence. The third is action, service, duty.

Despite the fact that they were dedicated seekers, they did not achieve the desired results and did not know God.

But that day a miracle happened!

Suddenly it started to rain, they ran to a small chapel, squeezed inside and huddled close to each other. And the moment they touched each other, they felt that they were no longer three. Startled in surprise, they looked at each other.

A higher presence was clearly felt. Gradually it became more and more visible and radiating. It was such an ecstasy to see the divine light!

They fell to their knees and prayed:

- Lord, why did you suddenly come? We worked all our lives, but we were not given such an honor to see You, why did this suddenly happen today?

And God said:

- Because today you are all here together. By touching each other, you became one and therefore saw me. I was always with each of you, but you could not manifest me because you were only fragments. In unity comes a miracle.

Dream Interpretation