The Morals of Dervishes
STORY LXXVI
A Dervish arrived in a place, the owner of which was ofa noble disposition, and had surrounded himself with a company of distinguished and eloquent men, each of whom uttered something elegant or jocular, according to the fashion of wits. The Dervish, who had travelled through the desert and was faituged, had eaten nothing. One of the company asked him by way of encouragement likewise to say something.
The Dervish replied: "I do not possess distinction and eloquence like you, and have read nothing; so you must be satisfied ith one distich of mine."
The company having agreed with pleasure, he recited:
I am hungry and opposite to a table of food,
Likea bachelor at the door of a bath of females.
The company, having thus been apprised of his famished condition, produced a table [with bread], but [as he began to eat greedily] the host said: "Friend! At any rate stop a while till my servants roast some minced meats." Whereon the Dervishes lifted his head and recited:
Do not order pounded meat for my table;
To a pounded man simple bread is pounded meat.
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