The Two Abdullahs
Once upon a time, there was a fisherman named Abdullah who was very poor. Every day he devoted hours to throwing his net into the river. He carried to the Bazar whatever fish he caught. He bought his necessaries with the price he got by selling his fish. But one day he could catch no fish. Even the next day brought him no luck. He was tired and hungry. But disappointment made him quite adamant. He walked along the riverbank, casting his net into the water time and again. He reached the spot where the river met the sea. Standing knee-deep in the water, he threw his net vigorously into the confluence. Then, when he began pulling it, he found the net heavy. For a moment his heart was filled with joy. "I have caught a big fish, I'm sure," he mumbled to himself. But, as he looked on, a human head popped up before him. "You have caught me!" exclaimed the fellow, still submerged in the water to his neck.
"Who are you?" asked the amazed Abdullah. "I am Abdullah," replied the fellow. "Don't say so. I am Abdullah. You can ask all my neighbors about it," said Abdullah the fisherman. "You may be Abdullah of the land. But I am Abdullah of the sea. We, sea people, live far inside the ocean. I had swum into the river only to see if I could get any sweet fruit of your earth. Sometimes they come floating and we like them very much. But here I am, caught up in your net!" said Abdullah of the sea with a sigh. "Don't you worry, I am going to release you forthwith," said Abdullah of the land, also with a sigh. "You are as worthless to me as a tree trunk. If you are fond of fruits, I can give you some tomorrow, if you come here," he added. "Will you? In exchange, I will give you pearls and precious stones. Sea abounds in them," said Abdullah of the sea. Abdullah of the land helped the other Abdullah to get out of the net and both parted. The next day Abdullah of the land collected some fruits and, when it was night, went near the confluence and called out for his namesake. Abdullah of the sea came out and received a sackful of fruits. He looked delighted. Asking the fisherman to wait a moment, he disappeared. Soon he returned with a sack filled with pearls and dazzling stones. The two agreed to meet once a week and exchange gifts. The next day the fisherman went to the town with his pearls and stones and tried to sell them to the richest jeweler in the Bazar. The jeweler, casting just one look at the sack, shouted for his servants to take hold of Abdullah.
"We hear that some jewels are stolen from the Sultan's collection. This fellow must be a thief!" he declared. Abdullah's protest went unheeded. He received blows and slaps and was led to the Sultan's court. But the Sultan after examining Abdullah's wealth said they were not the stolen goods. Abdullah then narrated how he came to get them. "We had heard about the human inhabitants of the sea. But we knew of nobody who had seen any of them. Now here you are! You have not only seen one of those strange creatures but also have befriended him. You deserve to become a nobleman in my court," said the Sultan. Abdullah soon became the Sultan's favorite. He visited the confluence every week with the best of fruits grown in the royal orchard and returned with a sack of invaluable stones and pearls. In the course of time, he married the Sultan's daughter and came to reside in the palace. One day he proposed to Abdullah of the sea, "Can't I once visit your dwelling?" Abdullah of the sea could not turn down his friend's request. He put a mysterious ointment in his friend's eyes. That enabled Abdullah of the land to see everything clearly under the water. The underwater country of the sea people was wonderful. There pearls and diamonds were as common as pebbles. Their customs fascinated Abdullah of the land. He spent a few days in the company of those people. The two Abdullahs grew even more fond of each other. On the day Abdullah of the land was to leave the strange underwater world, he heard shouts of joy and laughter coming from one of the buildings.
"What makes them rejoice?" he asked his host. "One of our people is dead," was the reply. "What! One is dead and instead of weeping, your people are rejoicing at it!" exclaimed Abdullah of the land with surprise. "What strange words do you speak! One is dead, that is, he had gone back to our Maker, God. Instead of rejoicing, must we cry? What an idea! Do you fellows do that?" asked Abdullah of the sea, still more surprised. "Indeed, we cry when one dear to us dies," confessed Abdullah of the land. "Then you fellows do not have faith in God's wisdom. Is it not foolish of you to be happy when God sends one to be born, but to be sorry when he calls one back?" asked Abdullah of the sea. Abdullah of the land tried to answer him but failed. They were near the confluence. "When do we meet again?" asked Abdullah of the land, climbing to the bank. "You fellows do not know how to respect God. There is no more meeting between us!" answered Abdullah of the sea, and he disappeared.
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