Page:Masnavi I Ma'navi.pdf/116

68. THE MASNAVI. [BOOK II. STORY II. The Pauper and the Prisoners (p. 113).

A certain pauper obtained admittance to a prison, and annoyed the prisoners by eating up all their victuals, and leaving them none. At last they made a formal complaint to the Qazi, and prayed him to banish the greedy pauper from the prison. The Qázi summoned the pauper before him, and asked him why he did not go to his own house instead of living on the prisoners. The pauper replied that he had no house or means of livelihood except that supplied by the prison; whereupon the Qázi ordered him to be carried through the city, and proclamation to be made that he was a pauper, that no one might be induced to lend him money or trade with him. Accordingly the attendants sought for a camel whereon to carry him through the city, and at last induced a Kurd who sold firewood to lend his cannel for the purpose. The Kurd consented from greed of reward, and the pauper, being seated on the camel, was carried through the city from morning till evening, proclamation being made in Persian, Arabic, and Kurdish that he was a pauper. When evening came the Kurd demanded payment, but the pauper refused to give him anything, observing that if he had kept his ears open he must have heard the pro- clamation. Thus the Kurd was led by greed to spend the day in useless labour.

Satan's office in the world (p. 114).

The pauper said, "Your beneficence is my sustenance;

To me, as to aliens, your prison is a paradise.

If you banish me from your prison in reprobation,

I must needs die of poverty aud affliction."

Just so Iblis said to Allah, "O have compassion;

Lord! respite me till the day of resurrection.¹

For in this prison of the world I am at ease,- ¹ Koran vii. 13.