XL

A gang of dissolute vagabonds broke in upon a dervish, used opprobrious language, and beat and ill-used him.  In his helplessness he carried his complaint before his ghostly father, and said, “Thus it has befallen me.”  He replied:  “O my son! the patched cloak of dervishes is the garment of resignation; whosoever wears this garb, and cannot bear with disappointment, is a hypocrite, and to him our cloth is forbidden.—­A vast and deep river is not rendered turbid by throwing into it a stone.  That religious man who can be vexed at an injury is as yet a shallow brook.—­If thou art subjected to trouble, bear with it; for by forgiveness thou art purified from sin.  Seeing, O brother! that we are ultimately to become dust, be humble as the dust, before thou moulderest into dust.”

XLI

Hear what occurred once at Bagdad in a dispute that took place between a roll-up curtain and standard.  Covered with the road-dust, and jaded with a march, the standard, in reproach, observed to the curtain:  “Thou and I are gentlemen in livery; we are fellow-servants at the court of his majesty.  I never enjoy a moment’s relief from duty; early and late I am equally marching.  Thou hast never experienced any peril or a siege, the heavy sand of the desert or dust of a whirlwind; my foot is most forward in any enterprise.  Then why art thou my superior in dignity?  Thou art cared for by youths with faces splendid as the moon, and handled by damsels scenting like jasmine; while I am fallen into the hands of raw recruits, am rolled up on our march, and turned upside down.”  The curtain answered:  “I lay my head humble at the threshold, and hold it not up like thine, flaring in the face of heaven!  Whoever is thus vainly rearing his crest exalts himself only to be humbled.”

XLII

A good and holy man saw a huge and strong fellow, who, having got much enraged, was storming with passion and foaming at the mouth.  He asked, “What has happened to this man?” Somebody answered, “Such a one has given him bad names!” He said, “This paltry wretch is able to carry a thousand-weight of stone, and cannot bear with one light word!  Cease to boast of thy strong arm and pretended manhood, infirm as thou art in mind, and mean in spirit.  What difference is there between such a man and a woman?  Though thou art strong of arm, let thy mouth utter sweet words; it is no proof of courage to thrust thy fist into another man’s face:—­Though thou art able to tear the scalp off an elephant, if deficient in humanity, thou art no hero.  The sons of Adam are formed from dust; if not humble as the dust, they fall short of being men.”

* * * * *

XLIV