Page 145 - The Book of Rumi

Mud Eaters

n the old times, there was a strange illness that had no apparent cause
Iand no known cure, namely mud eating. People affl icted with this unfor-
tunate condition could exercise no control over their behavior. Whenever
they chanced upon even the smallest amount of mud, in whatever location,
they couldn’t stop themselves from scooping it into their mouths and swal-
lowing it.
Mud eaters, however, also had to eat other foods to survive, and sugar
cubes happened to be the favorite treat of one such afflicted person. One day,

this man entered a small grocery shop in his neighborhood and asked the
shopkeeper for a quarter kilo of sugar cubes. The shopkeeper, who was an
astute businessman and knew about his customer’s predicament, showed him
the weights he used on his scale, secretly trying to tempt him.
“I use mud weights on my scale, just so you know! I’ll be back in a jiffy,”
he said, inventing a reason to step out momentarily. “Give me a minute to
fetch the whole sugar cone to chip your half kilo.”
He turned around and went into the storage room at the back of the
shop, making sure to take his time.
“This isn’t simply mud!” the mud eater began to fantasize. “To me, this is
more beautiful than any fl ower, more delicious than the fi nest pastry.”
Delighted that the shopkeeper had left the room and hoping that he
would take his time coming back, the mud eater eyed the weight delecta-
bly and snatched it in his fi ngers the moment he thought the other man
couldn’t see. He began to lick the clump of mud and nibble off small bites,
savoring each one, no longer concerned about being caught in the act. He
simply couldn’t stop himself and no longer cared about risking his reputa-
tion. Meanwhile, the shopkeeper secretly watched his customer from behind
a curtain.
“You’re such a fool, you think you’re cheating me, while you’re only steal-
ing from yourself!” the shopkeeper whispered silently to himself. “You’re

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