Page 54 - The Book of Rumi

beloved will turn into a venomous snake, for their spirit is dark and nasty.
Their talent is in creating poison, unlike the true alchemist, who turns every-
thing into precious gold!”
Quite curious by now, Jesus decided to fulfi ll the young man’s demand,
hoping to discover the purpose of this predicament that he found himself
in as well as ridding himself of the fellow’s exasperating company. Thus, he
uttered the prayer to raise the dead and blew it onto the shattered bones.
Unbeknown to Jesus and the young half-wit, the bones were not those
of a man but of a fi erce black lion. In no time, the lion, raised from the dead,
snapped the young man’s head off, broke his arms and legs, and shredded his
body. Standing a few paces away, Jesus witnessed the attack in awe. Cautiously,
he approached the lion: “Why did you tear this poor man apart? He just made
me give you back your life!”
“I decimated his body because he had made you angry, O great prophet!”
said the lion obediently.
“Then why don’t you eat his fl esh?” inquired Jesus.
“It’s not my fate today to be nourished by his body!” replied the grateful
lion, who then turned around and walked toward the distance.

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