Page 114 - The Book of Rumi

Students and Teacher

he students were exasperated by their dreadfully strict teacher, who never
Tallowed them a moment’s respite. Every day, they conjured up naughty
plans to distract him but somehow never managed to fool him. One day, the
cleverest of the boys, who was also the most streetwise, came up with a bril-
liant plan. As his classmates gathered around him after school, he explained
to them:
“Tomorrow morning when we come to school, I’ll approach the master
fi rst and ask him how he feels and why he’s looking so pale. I’ll wish him well
and say that he should take better care of himself. Then, you all should fol-
low my lead and one after the other repeat the same questions so that we can
instill doubt in his heart. After the fi fth or sixth person, surly he must begin
to wonder whether we’ve got a point or not. When thirty of us have told him
the same thing, he’ll have no choice but to believe us and let us off school at
least for a couple of days.”
The boys were all excited and commended the clever boy for his astute
idea. The boy made them all promise not to tell their parents and stick to
their scheme. The next morning, the students were all on time and awaited
the arrival of the clever boy, for they could not begin their plot without him.
As soon as he arrived, they nodded to each other and one by one entered the
classroom.
“Good morning to you, sir. Are you all right sir? Why do you seem so
pale this fi ne morning?” said the clever boy to the teacher cunningly.
“I’m perfectly fi ne. What are you blabbering about? Go sit down in your
seat,” the teacher ordered the boy in his usual abrasive manner.
The fi rst seed of doubt had been planted. The students then walked into
the classroom one after the other and each addressed the teacher in turn,
commenting with concern on the latter’s health. Despite his repeated denials,
the teacher slowly began to believe the boys, as he had heard the same remark
about his pale countenance thirty times. He began to shiver and actually feel
feverish. Soon, he was hastily packing his papers and books and hurrying
home, with thirty boys in tow.

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