Page 78 - The Book of Rumi

The Clown and the Prostitute

member of the ruling family of the town of Termez had befriended a
A clown many years earlier. The two men had a compatible relationship,
untarnished by the years. The clown made the older man laugh every time they
saw each other, and the wealthy man in turn made sure that the clown was well
provided for.
One day when they were alone, the older man, who had heard that the
clown had recently got married to a woman of low standing and was baffled by

this turn of events, asked him: “My old friend, there are many well-respected
women in our community whom I know personally. Why didn’t you tell me
to ask for the hand of one of them for you? Why did you rush into such an
important decision and marry a disreputable woman?”
“Sir, you must know that I have already married nine reputable women!”
he said to his caring companion, trying not to grin too widely. “You may have
also noticed that not a single one of them remained faithful to me, and I had
to divorce every single one! My heart was shattered each time, and I couldn’t
tolerate another cheating wife. So I decided to marry an already disgraced
woman, without even knowing her, and take a chance on life. I’ve already tried
my luck using my mind and my reasoning power; this time I’m trying out
madness instead!”

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