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The bird in the golden cage
The bird in the golden cage
A merchant in Persia received a gift from his friend. It was a green parrot in a beautiful golden cage.
“I got this talking parrot especially for you from India. Just feed this parrot chilies and hear its beautiful songs,” said the friend.
One day, the merchant announced that he would be going on a trip to India. “What does everyone want?”
“Bring me a beautiful silk cloth,” said his wife.
“Toys! I want a toy cart that can follow me wherever I go,” said his daughter.
The merchant turned to the parrot, “What about you my friend? What do you want?”
The parrot sighed, “Master if you see green parrots in India, will you please inform them that I am alive and well? Tell them that I live in a big house in Persia in a cage.”
The merchant promised to pass on the message and left.
After finishing all his work in India, the merchant visited a garden. He came across a group of parrots. He walked up to them,
“Friend parrots, I bring a message to you from one of your sisters. She was trapped here in India. But she now lives with me.”
One of the parrots flew and landed on the merchant’s shoulder.
“Is that so?” it said, “We hope she is safe.”
“Oh yes! She lives in a beautiful golden cage. I feed her tasty food. She wanted you to know that she is alive and well,” said the merchant.
Hearing this, the parrot sitting on the merchant’s shoulder shivered and fell to the ground. The merchant was alarmed and tried wake up the parrot. But it lay still!
“What have I done?” he cried, “All I wanted to do was pass on a message. I didn’t know this parrot would die!”
The merchant slowly got up and left for home.
He was greeted at the door by his wife and daughter. He gave them the gifts he had brought for them. Then he turned to the parrot.
“Did you pass on the message to my friends? What did they say?” asked the parrot excitedly.
“I delivered the message as you asked me to. But after listening to it, one of your friends shivered and fell to the ground. I am afraid your friend died. I am so sorry,” said the merchant sadly.
The parrot went still. And then she too shivered and fell. The merchant cried out, “Oh my God! Why is this happening?”
He opened the cage door and gently lifted the parrot out. He felt sorry for his beloved bird.
He took the bird out to the garden to bury it.
The merchant was both shocked and happy.
“Friend parrot, I am so happy you are alive. But why did you fall?”
“The parrot who fell wasn’t dead. She was sending me a message,” said the parrot with a smile,
“The open sky is any day better than a golden cage. She also showed the way to escape the cage.”
“I never realized that you were sad in the cage,” said the merchant, “Fly away, my friend. Fill the world with your beautiful song.”
The parrot flapped its wings and flew toward the open sky.
The prophet visited a sick man
The prophet visited a sick man
An old acquaintance of the Prophet Mohammed was taken ill. Unable to eat, he had lost a great deal of weight and become invalid. When the Prophet heard about his old friend’s pitiful state, he decided to visit him.
As he walked into the sick man’s room, he realized that the old man’s days were numbered and that in fact, he was nearing his end quite rapidly. Thus, he paid his friend much attention and tried to soothe his pain with kind words. The old man was so thrilled and grateful to see the prophet sitting beside him that he felt that he’d been gifted a new lease on life.
“My illness has brought me this unbelievable fortune!” he uttered feebly. “The prophet himself has come to visit me! What an auspicious morning! How grateful I am for all my pains and aches, for they have brought the prophet to my side! God has bestowed me my wish in my old age. He has given me such a backache that I can’t sleep at night from the pain, but this is no torture; it’s my treasure! My prayers have been answered before my death.”
The prophet was puzzled when he heard the old man praying for pain. “Old friend, from your words I can tell that you have been praying erroneously. You may have thought that you’re asking God for sweet kindnesses but in fact, your wrong words have brought you much misfortune! It sounds like, instead of praying for a long, healthy life you’ve been begging for poisoned meals. Which prayer did you utter?”
“I can hardly remember. I’m in such agony,” moaned the poor man. “But wait, being in your presence, my mind’s beginning to clear a bit,” he said weakly. “I felt guilty for many sins I’d committed and was frightened of God’s punishment. I had no patience and felt unworthy to even begin to repent. Like a drowning man, I reached out for anything I could grab to keep afloat. I prayed that He would inflict all the tortures of hell upon me while I’m still alive so that once I pass into the next world, I can finally find peace. Now I’d riddled with such pain and suffering that I can’t even remember any prayers, let alone what my sins were! Your kind visit has meant a great deal to me, and your words of comfort have brought me much joy, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
The prophet looked at the man with great sorrow: “Be aware and never again repeat such a prayer! Why would you want to cut off your roots with your own hands? You’re no more than a minuscule, weak ant scurrying across the great scheme of life. Why would you invite the weight of a mountain to crush your back?” retorted the prophet.
“I repent, the great prophet. I will never try to outsmart anyone again.”
“When you pray to God, ask for an easier life to endure, not one that’s more difficult than you can bear. Ask God for only goodness in this life, and in the next! Ask that your path crosses through gardens lush with flowers guiding your way back to Allah, who should be your ultimate destination.”
The prophet took leave after a few more minutes, knowing that the old man did not have much longer to live and wishing him a departure to a world that would be easier than the one he had conjured himself on earth.
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