I heard of a prince who was short and insignificant, while his other brothers were tall and handsome. The father looked at him with disdain and contempt. The son, with wisdom and insight, said, “O father, a wise short man is better than a tall ignorant one. Not everything that is taller in stature is better in value.”
The sheep is clean, and the elephant is a carcass.
The smallest mountain on earth is Mount Sinai, yet it is the greatest in the sight of God in rank and position.
Have you heard that a wise thin man Once said to a fat fool: A thoroughbred horse, even if weak, Is still better than a donkey from the stable.
The father laughed, the pillars of the state approved, and the brothers were offended.
Until a man speaks, his faults and virtues are hidden. Do not assume every spotted thing is a leopard; It might be a sleeping tiger.
I heard that an enemy appeared near the king’s territory. When the armies from both sides faced each other, the first to enter the battlefield was this son. He said:
I am not the one who will turn his back in the day of battle; I am the one who, if you see me among the dust and blood, you will see a head. He who brings war, plays with his own blood, On the day of the battlefield, and he who flees, plays with the blood of the army.
He said this and attacked the enemy’s army, killing several brave men. When he came before his father, he kissed the ground in service and said:
O you who saw my person as insignificant, Do not think that harshness is a virtue. A lean horse is useful in the day of battle, Not a fattened ox.
It is said that the enemy’s army was numerous, and theirs was few. Some intended to flee. The son shouted, “O men, strive hard or wear women’s clothes!” The riders were emboldened by his words and attacked all at once. I heard that they achieved victory over the enemy that day. The king kissed his head and eyes, embraced him, and every day looked upon him with more favor until he made him his heir.
The brothers envied him and poisoned his food. The sister saw this from a window, closed the shutter, and the son understood, withdrawing his hand from the food. He said, “It is impossible for the talented to die and the untalented to take their place.”
No one comes under the shadow of an owl, Even if the phoenix disappears from the world.
The father was informed of this. He summoned his sons and gave them the appropriate punishment. Then he assigned each one a portion of the lands, so the strife ceased and the dispute ended, for ten dervishes can sleep on one rug, but two kings cannot fit in one kingdom.
If a man of God eats half a loaf, He gives the other half to the dervishes. A king takes a kingdom, Yet remains in bondage to another kingdom.
