Page 33 - The Book of Rumi

The Fly Who Thought She Was a Sailor

poor donkey had been patiently carrying his heavy load all day long
A without a moment’s respite. He had not even been allowed to stop to
pee. Finally, his owner reached his destination, and the donkey was relieved of
the merchandise heaped on his back. Free at last from his burden, the beast
happily emptied his full bladder.
A short distance away, a tiny fly was resting on a leaf lying on the ground.

The donkey’s urine, flowing downstream, began to carry the leaf with the fly

on it. The fly was initially taken aback, not quite understanding what was hap-
pening. After a little while, though, she began to believe: “I’m sailing away on
the sea. I’m the captain of this ship, and what a perfectly seasoned navigator I
am! Who dares to stop me now?”

The fly was gloating in her pride, floating on the stream of urine, believ-
ing that she was sailing the seven seas. Unbeknown to her, she was still the
same lowly fly she’d always been, driven along by the furious pace of the urine’s

fl ow, unaware that nothing truly is as it seems.

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