The Envious And The Gracious
In his small town Ajib, the young merchant was as prosperous as he was popular. He was prosperous because he was honest. People trusted him; what they could buy from him, they would never buy from others. He was popular because he sympathised with others in their sorrow; he helped to solve their problems. Ajib's neighbour, another merchant, was consumed with envy. As Ajib grew richer, the neighbour grew thinner. Not that he lacked anything himself, but he was awfully jealous of Ajib's popularity and prosperity. He always wished Ajib ill, but Ajib was doing always well. The neighbour lost his appetite soon and began to suffer from sleeplessness, burning with agony. He always remained tense and anxious lest he should hear something still better about Ajib. As a consequence, he ruined his health and took to bed.
One day the neighbour's wife met Ajib in private. The poor woman wept bitterly and told how her husband suffered on account of his prosperity. Ajib was stunned. He consoled the woman, saying, "I must soon hit upon some remedy for your husband's ailment. Go away and sorrow not." Alone in the night, Ajib grew pensive. Soon he began to hate his own wealth and reputation. "Woe to me if I caused so much suffering to my neighbour," he muttered and, as soon as it was dawn, left his house and walked on not knowing where he was going. He was tired by evening. He saw a deserted old well in a meadow. He sat down there and fell asleep. In the morning a batch of merchants on their way to the town saw him. Some of them recognised him and fed him and spoke to him. Their surprise knew no bound when they learnt that the young merchant Ajib had renounced the world. He was already well known for his honesty. Now the merchants concluded that he was no less than a saint. They left there a couple of their servants to cook for him and look after his comforts. In the nearby village, they spread the news of the coming of the saint. The villagers lost no time in rushing to the meadow and building a house for Ajib. In the town, the merchants told all the other merchants about the great change that had come over Ajib. Merchants of the town flocked to Ajib and built a cluster of houses on the meadow. They visited him often, with their families, to listen to his words of wisdom. And Ajib, indeed, spoke sweetly and wished everybody good. Ajib's envious neighbour, who had been happy for a few days at the sudden disappearance of Ajib and the shutting down of his business, despaired at the news of the glorious turn in Ajib's career. He fell sick again. After a year or two, when he could not contain his agony any more, he proceeded to meet Ajib. Ajib sat in a spacious hall, surrounded by his disciples. The envious neighbour greeted him and said, "O Master, I desire to talk to you in confidence." Ajib at once asked his disciples to leave the hall.
"Ajib, don't you recognise me? I am your neighbour who always wished you well. Now, I have to tell you something very important, but I hesitate to do so inside the house. Why not we take a walk?" proposed the neighbour. "Why not," said Ajib. Both went out into the meadow behind the house. It was evening and the disciples could not see them. The neighbour led Ajib to the well and under the pretext of showing him something in the water, gave him a sudden push. Ajib toppled into the deep well. Sure that he was gone forever, the neighbour returned home as fast as he could. Ajib who did not know swimming would have surely drowned and died but for some helpful spirits who lived in the well. They were happy that the meadow around their well had become famous. They also knew that it was on account of Ajib.
It took time for Ajib to realise that if he did not sink, it was because the spirits showed their backs and he landed on them. Then he found a slab of stone and sat upon it. "We are happy to have you amidst us." said the leader of the spirits. "Because of you, the sultan is coming here tomorrow." "Is he?" Ajib expressed surprise. "Of course, being a saint you know that his daughter is possessed by an evil spirit and the sultan, disappointed with all sorts of treatment, is coming to seek your help to save the princess," said the spirit. "I see," was the only comment Ajib could make. "And of course you know that the cure is in your black pet cat. All you have to do is to pick a pair of hair from its moustache and burn them on a saucer and hold the smoke close to the golden nose of the princess!" said the head spirit. "Thank you. Now I know," said Ajib. Ajib's disciples were looking for him with great anxiety. In the morning they saw him emerging out of the well. This was possible with the help of the spirits who remained invisible. Ajib's disciples took this as a feat of a miracle by their master, for nobody could climb down or up that well without the help of a ladder.
Back in the house, the first thing Ajib did was to pluck a pair of hair from his black cat's moustache and keep them handy. Soon after the sunrise the royal bodyguards came running and announced that the sultan was on his way to meet Ajib. And soon the sultan arrived there and after the exchange of greetings, said, "I thought it was my duty to meet the great soul." "You are meeting me on account of your daughter," observed Ajib. "I am satisfied that I cannot hide anything from the great soul. I am overwhelmed," said the sultan, on the verge of tears. "I hope to be able to cure the princess if she is brought here," Ajib consoled the sultan. The princess was duly brought there and Ajib burnt the couple of hair and with the smoke freed the princess from the spirit that possessed her. The princess who was laughing and behaving wildly grew calm and looked at everybody as if suddenly awakened from a deep sleep.
The sultan's joy knew no bound. "I don't know how to reward this young saint," the sultan said looking at his old vizier. "You ought to know how to, my lord, for six months ago you, in your despair, had told me that whosoever can cure the girl can marry her. I would not have reminded you of this had this young saint not looked like the most eligible bridegroom!" "You are the greatest of all viziers the world has known," exclaimed the Sultan. The young saint, Ajib, did not grumble at the proposal. In fact, he seemed quite pleased. The marriage, needless to say, was a great event. And soon thereafter the sultan died leaving the throne to Ajib. Upon learning what happened to Ajib, the envious neighbour turned almost mad. One day, while wandering with his entourage, Sultan Ajib saw the fellow loitering in tattered clothes. Ajib recognised him all right and asked one of his officers to arrange for the fellow's treatment and to give him a thousand pieces of gold when he got well. "I owe my sultanate to this man," Ajib told his entourage.
For More Bedtime Stories Click Here
Comments
Post a Comment