Page 106 - The Book of Rumi

Elephant Eaters

group of men had been on the road in India for days without food
A or water. Unfamiliar with the terrain they were covering and unable to
feed themselves, they became desperately undernourished. Nevertheless, they
continued on their journey, famished and distraught but determined to reach
their fi nal destination.
In a twist of luck, a learned man who had traveled in that area many times
before and was familiar with the wildlife of the region happened to cross
their path. Looking at the condition of their clothing and their pale faces, he
quickly concluded that they were hungry strangers and felt compelled to warn
them about the elephants that roamed the land.
“Greetings my good men, I can see that you’re tired and hungry, for there’s
not much prey in these parts,” he commiserated. “But beware that elephants
roam freely in this area, and their young, who are plump, sometimes get sepa-
rated from their mothers and are then easily caught. You must never, ever try
to hunt an elephant calf, though, for his mother will fi nd you no matter how
many miles you may think you’ve traveled from where you caught the calf.
She will sniff out her child’s scent on you, and she’ll trample you to death the
moment she catches up. Mark my words and stick to eating herbs and fruits,
if you fi nd them!”
The exhausted men listened to the wise man’s words, thanked him for
his advice, and continued on their journey. Desperately hungry, they looked
under every shrub and up every tree that might bear fruit, but they found
nothing edible. Suddenly, one of the men spotted an elephant calf who had
been separated from his clan. Without hesitation, the men, except for one who
heeded the wise man’s advice, attacked the young beast and, facing minimal
resistance, killed him on the spot.
Too famished to listen to the learned man’s warnings, the men quickly

started a fi re and cooked the plump animal, feasting on his flesh. Having satis-
fi ed their hunger at last, they washed their hands and faces in a stream nearby
and promptly fell asleep on the banks. The conscientious man who had not

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