Gulistan of Saadi
The Morals of Dervishes
Story 35
In conformity with the above sentiments an affair of importance emerged to a padshah, who thereon
vowed that, if it terminated according to his wishes, he would present devotees with a certain sum of
money. His wish having been fulfilled, it became necessary to keep his promise. Accordingly he gave
a purse of dirhems to one of his confidential servants to distribute it among recluses. It is related that
the slave was intelligent and shrewd. He walked about all day and returning at nightfall, kissed the
dirhems and deposited them before the king with the remark that he had not found any devotees. The
king rejoined: ‘What nonsense is this? As far as I know there are four hundred devotees in this town.
He said: ‘Lord of the world, who is a devotee does not accept money and who accepts it is not a
devotee.’ The king smiled and said to his courtiers: ‘Despite of my wishing to do good to this class of
worshippers of God, this rogue bears them emnity and thwarts my wish but truth is on his side.’
If a devotee has taken dirhems and dinars
Find another who is more a devotee than he.
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Gulistan of Saadi | The Morals of Dervishes | Story 34
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