a school where a bad-tempered teacher taught a number of little boys and girls. The teacher was so intolerant that no student dared to make any trouble in the class. If it ever happened he would punish the guilty student with his stick. I wished he was replaced with a better teacher. Several months later, I heard he was discarded and a patient teacher was employed instead. The new teacher was very kind and never hit the students. I thought this change was to the best of the school. But, having such merciful and tolerant teacher, the students began to make trouble in class and became playful. Several weeks later, I heard the former teacher was once again invited to work in the school.
"It's a big mistake. Why did they fire the new teacher and employ this bad-tempered teacher again?" I asked a wise man.
"Haven't heard that old anecdote?! A king intended to send his dear son to school. On his first day of school, he wrote on his son's notebook: Punishment from your teacher is better that kindness from your father." The old man replied me.
From Gulistan (the rose garden), chapter seven, on the effects of education, by Sa'di, the great Persian poet and literary man, 13th century.
Wholesaler
Once a shopkeeper met a local wholesaler in a restaurant to pay off his debts. He was supposed to give him 455 dollars. But he had only 450 dollars with him. So, the shopkeeper asked for a little discount.
"Never, not even a cent." The wholesaler told the man.
He insisted more and more. But he didn't accept less than 455 dollars. Meanwhile, the shopkeeper saw a friend in the restaurant and borrowed some money from him. This way, he paid the remaining five dollars. When they were leaving the restaurant, the wholesaler gave the waiter 50 dollars as a tip.
"You didn't give up five dollars several minutes ago. But now you give him 50 dollars?!" The surprised shopkeeper asked.
"That was business and in business even a cent counts. But this is gratitude and generosity. I'm ready to give even more." The wholesaler replied.
From Qabus-Nama by Keikavus, the Persian king and author, 11th century.
Wise bird
Once upon a time, a hunter caught a little bird. It asked him for its freedom in return of three pieces of valuable advice.
"I'll give you the first piece of advice when I'm still in your hand. The second when I'm still in your house's yard and the third when I'm safe on the tree in front of your house." The bird said.
The hunter, who was really interested, agreed.
"Never believe something which is impossible." The bird advised as the man let it go from his hand.
"Past is past. Never get upset for something that's gone." The bird flew to the tree as it gave the second advice.
"O hunter! There was a priceless pearl inside my stomach which was two times as heavy as my weight. But, you let me go. So you can't have it any more." The bird said.
The hunter got very disappointed, blaming himself why he had let the bird fly away.
"Didn't I tell you past is past and never believe impossible things. How can I contain a pearl which is much heavier than my entire body?!" The bird said, smiling.
Then, the hunter who realized it was an extraordinary bird, asked him for the third piece of advice.
"You didn't follow my two pieces of advice. There's no point in giving you the third." The wise bird told the man and flew far away.
Its last word, however, was actually the third advice; giving advice to stupid people is like seeding plants in a dry desert.
From Masnavi (rhyming couplets), by Rumi (also Mawlana), the great Persian poet, scholar and Sufi mystic, 13th century.
King's ring
Once a king decided to carve a brief sentence on his ring's stone. Since the king always wore the ring and used it as a token of authority, he wanted a sentence that could advise him in every situation, no matter his heart was filled with joy or sorrow. The king asked all scholars around the world to suggest a sentence.
They proposed thousands of sayings, proverbs and lines of poetry. But the king approved none of them.
One day, the king was told a poor man would like to suggest a sentence. No one knew the man.
"I listened to so many scholars all in vain. Let's listen to this man." The king said.
"This will also pass." The wise man suggested.
The king felt satisfied and carved the sentence on his ring's precious stone to remind him, in joy or sorrow, of the transitory nature of the world.
From Elahi-Nameh by Attar, the great Persian poet and suphist, 12th century.
Dead dog
Once there was a dead dog on the road. Every passer-by who saw the dog complained about its being there.
"It smells awful." One said.
"Yeah, and it has an ugly face." Another added.
While people were saying bad things about the poor dog, a wise man addressed them:" Look! What a beautiful fur and teeth it has!"
"Break yourself whenever you look into the mirror and don't feel too proud." He added.
From Makhzan-al-Asrar by Nizami Ganjavi, great Persian poet, 12th century.
Sore eyes
Once a man had sore eyes. His eyes really ached.
"What should I do?" He asked his friend.
"You should take them out. Last year I had a terrible toothache. I took my tooth out and its pain vanished." His friend suggested.
From Risala-i-Dilgusha by Ubayd Zakani, the great Persian poet and satirist, 14th century.
Minister
Once upon a time there lived a shepherd who became a minister in the Persian kingdom. Every morning he entered a small room in his office, spent some time there and left the room locked. Little by little, other officials got suspicious of his strange behavior.
"We believe he's hiding something precious there or faking some documents." They told the king.
The king ordered the soldiers to break into the room. To their surprise, they only found a shabby pair of shoes and some old clothes.
"Why do you keep these things?" The king asked his official.
"They were my shoes and clothes when I was a shepherd. I take a look at them, first thing every morning, not to forget who I've been and where I've come from." The man replied.
From Masnavi (rhyming couplets), by Rumi (also Mawlana), the great Persian poet, scholar and Sufi mystic, 13th century.
Apple tree
Once a trader lent a man one thousand gold coins. The man was supposed to return the money in a year. A year and a half passed but he didn't give back the money. One day, the trader visited the man and asked him to return his money.
"Me? When? I have never borrowed any money from you." The man denied that the trader had lent him one thousand coins.
Therefore, they attended the court. There, the judge asked the trader when and where he had lent the money.
"He borrowed the coins from me while I was sitting near an apple tree last year." The trader told the judge.
"I can remember neither the money nor the apple tree." The man said.
There was no witness to confirm the trader's claim. The man also denied any debt. So the judge couldn’t decide who told the truth. Then, a brilliant idea came to his mind.
"You lent the money while you were sitting near an apple tree. That tree can be your witness. Go and ask the tree if it can remember you." The judge told the lender.
The trader was surprised but he trusted the judge and left the court to ask the tree. Some time passed.
"Do you think he has reached that apple tree yet?" The judge asked the man.
"No, Sir, It takes him at least two more hours." The man replied.
"You said you didn't remember the apple tree. How do you know when the trader reaches the apple tree!?" The judge asked the man.
He realized that the trader told the truth and the man was guilty.
From Qabus-Nameh by Keikavus, the Persian king and author, 11th century.
The beggar in love
Once a beggar happened to see the king's daug
hter on her way to the palace and fell in love with her. Everyday from morning to the evening, he sat under a tree near the palace, hoping to see the princess again. Several years passed. Little by little, the king and his daughter learned about the beggar and his love. The king got very angry and wanted to behead the lover but his daughter took pity on him and decided to talk the beggar out of this love.
"The king is going to behead you if you don't give up." The princess told the beggar.
The beggar, then, told her he was ready to die for his love and didn't care what could happen to him.
"It's madness not love. To love is not to die but to revive!" The king's daughter said.
"If you had really loved me, you would have worked hard to deserve me. But you're still a beggar." She added.
From Manteq-ot-Tayr by Attar, the great Persian poet and suphist, 12th century.
Greedy mouse
Once upon a time there lived a mouse in a house. The mouse took away the owner's foods. The man tried many times to catch the mouse. But he was never successful. Once, a dear guest paid a visit to the man. At night, while the guest was eating dinner and talking about his adventures, the mouse came out of its little home to take away some foods.
"Why do you let this mouse bother you so much?" The guest asked the host.
The owner told him all the things he had done to catch the mouse all in vain.
"I see this mouse is so brave and bravery comes from good support." The wise guest said and started to dig the mouse's hole to see what was what. Before long, he found a bag full of gold coins inside its home.
"This is why the mouse wanders in your house with no fear. I'll