Page:Tales from the Gulistan (1928).pdf/251

Stories CLXX and CLXXI

the son of a rich man, sitting on the grave of his father, and quarrelling with a Dervish boy, saying: "The sarcophagus of my father's tomb is of stone, and its epitaph is elegant; the pavement is of marble, tessellated with turquoise-like bricks. But what resembles thy father's grave? It consists of two contiguous bricks, with two handfuls of mud thrown over it."

The Dervish boy listened to all this and then observed: "By the time thy father is able to shake off those heavy stones which cover him, mine will have reached Paradise."

An ass with a light burden no doubt walks easily. A Dervish who carries only the load of poverty will also arrive lightly burdened at the gate of death; whilst he who lived in happiness, wealth, and ease, will undoubtedly on all these accounts die hard at all events, a prisoner who escapes from all his bonds is to be considered more happy than an Amir taken prisoner.

an illustrious man for the reason of the tradition: Account as an enemy the passion which is between thy two loins. He replied: "The reason is, because whatever enemy thou propitiatest becomes thy friend, whereas the more thou indulgest in a passion, the more it will oppose thee."

Man attains angelic nature by eating sparingly, but if he be voracious like beasts, he falls like a stone. He whose wishes thou fulfillest will obey thy command, contrary to passion, which will command when obeyed.