Page:Tales from the Gulistan (1928).pdf/48

The Manners of Kings

STORY XI

A Dervish, whose prayers met with answers,^[1] made his appearance, and Hejâj Yusuf,^[2] calling him, said: "Utter a good prayer for me."

Whereupon the Dervish exclaimed: "O God, take his life!"

He replied: "For God's sake, what prayer is this?"

The Dervish rejoined: "It is a good prayer for thee and for all Mussalmâns. O tyrant, who oppressest they subjects! how long wilt thou persevere in this? Of what use is authority to thee? To die is better for thee than to oppress men."

STORY XII

An unjust king asked a devotee what kind of worship is best? He replied: "For thee the best is to sleep one half of the day, so as to not injure the people for a while."

I saw a tyrant sleeping half the day. I said: "This confusion, if sleep removes it, so much the better; [but] he whose sleep is better than his wakefulness is better dead than leading such a bad life."

1. Men of holiness, whose prayers are believed to be met with responses, not only enjoy great respect, but are also feared on account of the imprecations they may utter in anger; and when impudent they can scarcely be punished.
2. Name of a notoriously tyrannical governer.

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