and he died of chagrin and vexation.” Asked
the wood-pigeon, “What then shall I do that
I may be freed from the bonds of the world and cut
myself loose from all things save the service of my
Lord?” Answered the hedgehog, “Betake
thee to preparing for the next world and content thyself
with a pittance of provision.” Quoth the
pigeon, “How can I do this, I that am a bird
and unable to go beyond the date-tree whereon is my
daily bread? And even could I do so, I know
of no other place wherein I may wone.”
Quoth the hedgehog, “Thou canst shake down of
the fruit of the date-tree what shall suffice thee
and thy wife for a year’s provaunt; then do
ye take up your abode in a nest under the trunk, that
ye may prayerfully seek to be guided in the right
way, and then turn thou to what thou hast shaken down
and transport it all to thy home and store it up against
what time the dates fail; and when the fruits are
spent and the delay is longsome upon you, address
thyself to total abstinence.” Exclaimed
the pigeon, “Allah requite thee with good for
the righteous intention wherewith thou hast reminded
me of the world to come and hast directed me into
the right way!” Then he and his wife worked
hard at knocking down the dates, till nothing was
left on the palm-tree, whilst the hedgehog, finding
whereof to eat, rejoiced and filled his den with the
fruit, storing it up for his subsistence and saying
in his mind, “When the pigeon and his wife have
need of their provision, they will seek it of me and
covet what I have, relying upon thy devoutness and
abstinence; and, from what they have heard of my counsels
and admonitions, they will draw near unto me.
Then will I make them my prey and eat them, after
which I shall have the place and all that drops from
the date-tree to suffice me.” presently, having
shaken down the fruits, the pigeon and his wife descended
from the tree-top and finding that the hedgehog had
removed all the dates to his own place, said to him,
“O hedgehog! thou pious preacher and of good
counsel, we can find no sign of the dates and know
not on what else we shall feed.” Replied
the hedgehog, “Probably the winds have carried
them away; but the turning from the provisions to
the Provider is of the essence of salvation, and He
who the mouth-corners cleft, the mouth without victual
hath never left.” And he gave not over
improving the occasion to them on this wise, and making
a show of piety and cozening them with fine words
and false until they put faith in him and accepted
him and entered his den and had no suspicion of his
deceit. Thereupon he sprang to the door and gnashed
his teeth, and the wood-pigeon, seeing his perfidy
manifested, said to him, “What hath to-night
to do with yester-night? Knowest thou not that
there is a Helper for the oppressed? Beware of
craft and treachery, lest that mishap befal thee which
befel the sharpers who plotted against the merchant.”
“What was that?” asked the hedgehog.
Answered the pigeon:—I have heard tell
this tale of