A group of Arab thieves had taken a position on a mountain, blocking the caravan route, and the people of the region were terrified by their tricks, and the Sultan’s army was defeated. They had taken a stronghold on the peak of the mountain and made it their refuge and shelter. The rulers of the surrounding lands consulted on how to eliminate their harm, concluding that if this group continued in this manner, resistance would become impossible.
A tree that has just taken root Can be uprooted by the strength of a person. But if it remains for a long time, You cannot uproot it even with an elephant.
It is possible to stop the source of a stream with a shovel, But when it is full, you cannot pass it with an elephant.
It was decided to send someone to spy on them and watch for an opportunity. When the thieves had gone to raid a group and left their place empty, a few experienced warriors were sent to hide in the mountain pass. At night, when the thieves returned, having traveled and brought back loot, they took off their weapons and laid down their spoils. The first enemy to attack them was sleep. As part of the night passed,
The sun’s disk turned black, Jonah was swallowed by the fish.
The brave men emerged from their ambush, tied the hands of each thief behind their backs, and brought them to the king’s court at dawn. The king ordered them all to be executed. Among them was a young man whose youth had just blossomed, and the green of his cheeks had just appeared. One of the ministers kissed the king’s throne and laid his face on the ground in intercession, saying, “This boy has not yet tasted the fruits of life and has not enjoyed the pleasures of youth. I hope that the king, in his divine grace and kindness, will spare his life.” The king frowned and said:
The light of the good does not affect one whose foundation is bad. Training the unworthy is like planting seeds on a dome.
It is better to cut off the lineage of these corrupt ones and uproot their family, for it is not wise to extinguish a fire and leave the embers, or to kill a viper and keep its offspring.
Even if the cloud rains the water of life, You will not eat fruit from the willow tree. Do not spend your days with the lowly, For you will not eat sugar from the reed.
The minister heard this and, willingly or unwillingly, approved and praised the king’s wisdom, saying, “What the king, may his kingdom endure, has said is the truth. If this boy had been raised among those wicked ones, he would have adopted their nature and become one of them. But I hope that in the company of the righteous, he will be trained and adopt the ways of the wise, for he is still a child, and the nature of rebellion and enmity has not yet taken root in him. It is said: ‘Every child is born on the natural disposition, but his parents make him a Jew, a Christian, or a Magian.’”
Lot’s wife, by associating with the wicked, Lost her place in the family of prophecy. The dog of the Companions of the Cave, By following the good, became human.
The minister said this, and a group of the king’s companions joined in intercession until the king pardoned the boy, saying, “I forgive him, though I do not see it as wise.”
Do you know what Zal said to the brave Rostam? Do not underestimate the enemy, even if he is weak and helpless. We have seen many times that the small stream, When it grows, can carry away a camel and its load.
In short, the boy was raised with care and luxury, and teachers were appointed to train him in the art of speaking, responding, and serving kings. He became well-regarded among his peers. One day, the minister was praising his qualities to the king, saying that the training of the wise had affected him and removed his old ignorance. The king smiled and said:
In the end, the wolf’s offspring will be a wolf, Even if it is raised among humans.
Two years passed. The local ruffians joined him and formed an alliance. At an opportune moment, he killed the minister and his two sons, took an immense amount of wealth, and returned to the thieves’ den, taking his father’s place and becoming rebellious. The king bit his finger in astonishment and said:
How can one make a good sword from bad iron? A base person will not become noble, O wise one. Rain, in its nature, is gentle, But it causes tulips to grow in the garden and weeds in the salt marsh.
The salt land will not produce hyacinths, Do not waste your seeds and efforts on it. Doing good to the wicked is like doing evil to the good.
