Gulistan of Saadi
On the Excellence of Contentment
Story 7
Two Khorasani dervishes traveled together. One of them, being weak, broke his fast every second
night whilst the other who was strongly consumed every day three meals. It happened that they were
captured at the gate of a town on suspicion of being spies; whereon each of them was confined in a
closet and the aperture of it walled up with mud bricks. After two weeks it became known that they
were guiltless. Accordingly, the doors were opened and the strong man was found to be dead whilst
the weak fellow had remained alive. The people were astonished but a sage averred that the contrary
would have been astonishing because one of them having been voracious possessed no strength to
suffer hunger and perished whilst the other who was abstemious merely persevered in his habit and
remained safe.
When eating little has become the nature of a man
He takes it easy when a calamity befalls him
But when the body becomes strong in affluence
He will die when a hardship overtakes him.
READ MORE:
Gulistan of Saadi | On the Excellence of Contentment | Story 6
Gulistan of Saadi | On the Excellence of Contentment | Story 5
Gulistan of Saadi | On the Excellence of Contentment | Story 4
