Page 148 - The Book of Rumi

Instantly the wood turned into pure gold, as if on fi re! The young darvish
was stunned; frozen on the spot, he was unable to move. After a while, the
old man turned to the sky again: “O God Almighty, You are the all-knowing;
for the sake of Your devoted servant, please turn this gold back to its original
form.”
The heap of gold instantly reverted to fi rewood, and the old man nimbly
lifted the pieces onto his feeble back. He began walking toward the town,
ignoring the calls of the young darvish, hoping that he had learned his lesson.
He wished that the young man might remember this encounter and never
again underestimate a working man’s efforts to earn his keep rather than rely-
ing on handouts, like some.

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