Page 180 - The Book of Rumi

Catching Donkeys

ale as a sheet of thin paper, lips purple from fright, and shivering all over,
Pa man hurled himself through the fi rst unlocked gate he found in the
alley. The owner of the house hurried into the yard when he heard the loud
bang of the gate shutting and found his old acquaintance cowering in a corner.
“Greetings, my dear friend, what brings you here so early in the morning?”
The frightened man had not yet caught his breath and could hardly speak.
The owner’s curiosity was further aroused.
“What have you seen that has frightened you so?” he asked compassionately.
“The shameless king has ordered all donkeys in town to be confi scated!”
replied the man.
“So? If they’re catching donkeys, why are you running away? You’re not
an ass!”
“These men are very earnest and take their job seriously,” he rational-
ized. “However, they’re not experts and tend to make mistakes. I wouldn’t be
surprised if they were to get confused and nab the owner of the ass instead
of the ass!”
The owner of the house stared at his friend in disbelief, not knowing how
best to reply to such a comment.

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