Gulistan of Saadi
On the Effects of Education
Story 10
The wife of a dervish had become enceinte and when the time of her confinement was at hand, the
dervish who had no child during all his life said: ‘If God the most high and glorious presents me with
a son, I shall bestow everything I possess as alms upon dervishes, except this patched garment of mine
which I am wearing.’ It happened that the infant was a son. He rejoiced and gave a banquet to the
dervishes, as he had promised. Some years afterwards when I returned from a journey to Syria, I
passed near the locality of the dervish and asked about his circumstances but was told that he had
been put in prison by the police. Asking for the cause, I was told that his son, having become drunk,
quarrelled and having shed the blood of a man, had fled; whereon his father was instead of him loaded
with a chain on his neck and heavy fetters on his legs. I replied: ‘He had himself asked God the most
high and glorious for this calamity.’
If pregnant women, O man of intellect,
Bring forth serpents at the time of birth,
It is better in the opinion of the wise
Than to give birth to a wicked progeny.
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Gulistan of Saadi | On the Effects of Education | Story 9