STORY XXVIII
A solitary Dervish was sitting in a corner of the desert when a Pâdshâh happened to pass by; but, ease having made him independent,[1] he took no notice. The Sultân, in conformity with his royal dignity, became angry and said: "this tribe of rag-wearers resembles beasts."
The vizier said: "The Pâdshâh of the surface of the earth has passed near thee, why hast thou not paid homage and shown good manners?"
He replied: "Tell the King to look for homage from a man who expects benefits from him, and also that kings exist for protecting subjects, and subjects not for obeying kings. The Pâshâh is the guardian of the Dervish, although wealth is in the glory of his reign. The sheep is not for the shepherd, but the shepherd for the service of it. To-day thou beholdst one man prosperous, and another whose heart is wounded by struggling; wait a few days till the earth consumes the brain in the head of the visionary. Distinction between king and slave has ceased when the decree of fate overtakes them. If a man were to open the tombs of the dead, he would not distinguish a rich from a poor man."
The King, who was pleased with the sentiments of the Dervish, asked him to make a request; but he answered that the only one he had to make was to be left alone. The King them asked for advice, and the Dervish said:
- "Understand now, while wealth is in thy land,
- That fortune and kingdom will leave thy hand."
- ↑ Literally, 'But as leisure is the kingdom of contentment, etc.'
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