Page 112 - The Book of Rumi

The Sound of the Slap

man was sitting quietly on a bench, minding his own business, when a
A younger man plopped himself down heavily beside him. Before the fi rst
man could turn to see who had just sat down, the other man slapped him
loudly on the back of the neck. The fi rst man was outraged and instinctively
turned to defend himself by tackling his assailant, when the young man said
philosophically: “Please, please, wait a second before you slap me back! Can
you just tell me something: when I slapped you, did you hear how loud it was?
So, do you suppose that the sound came from my hand, which delivered the
slap, or was it your neck that made that loud sound?”
The fi rst man grew even more furious and snapped back: “You idiot, who
cares?” He continued, hot with impatience: “I’m twisting and burning with
pain, and you’re wondering where the sound came from? Have you got noth-
ing better to do than make a nuisance of yourself and waste people’s time?”
Wisely deciding not to waste his own time with such a fool, he stood up
from the bench, threw one last disdainful look at the useless philosophizing
stranger, and walked away, rubbing his neck tenderly.

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