Page 131 - The Book of Rumi

cold corpse the next day, and they each went their own way. Meanwhile, the
man walked into the mosque, holding his head high against what might come.
His head, however, had nevertheless been cluttered with the townspeople’s
warnings, and no matter how hard he tried he couldn’t fall asleep. So, he sat
in a corner, his back propped up against a pillar, and watched the darkness.
Midnight was upon him, and he had not yet heard or seen any monster
or devil; he began to think that all he’d been told about the mosque had been
lies or the product of the townsfolk’s overspirited imaginations. Right at that
very moment, he was jerked into reality by a piercing holler directed at him,
declaring that in a blink of an eye his entire being would be overtaken. Any
sane person would faint or collapse or even lurch into cardiac arrest, but not
the fearless stranger, who had already bade farewell to his life on earth.
“This is nothing! It’s the hollow sound of a drum declaring the arrival
of Eid!” he shouted out confi dently. “To the faithless, it may sound like the
trumpet of death, but for those of us who believe in God, it’s the sound of
celebration! Why should I fear the drum of Eid? I shall enter the ring and
either give up my life or leave victorious.”
He got up from his corner and stood in the middle of the mosque, crying
out: “Here I am! Can you see me? I’ve nothing to lose, I’ve given up everything.
If you’re brave enough, show your face and let’s have it all out!”
With those words, the mosque’s spell was broken; instantly, the ceiling

cracked open and a stream of gold coins cascaded onto the mosaic floor. The
man was stunned as he watched the unimaginable treasure pile up before him.
After a few minutes, when he regained his composure, he ran about in search
of empty sacks, which he found in one of the side rooms, and began to fi ll
them up with the coins. It took him the rest of the night, but he managed to
collect every single coin he could locate.
Unlike the cowards who had lost their lives in the Guest Killer Mosque,
and much to the regret of the unbelieving townsfolk who had no trust in their
hearts, the stranger became supremely rich, spending his wealth generously
until his last living days.

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