Story 

  I saw a schoolmaster in the Maghrib country, who was sour-faced,

of uncouth speech, ill-humoured, troublesome to the people, of a

beggarly nature and without self-restraint, so that the very sight

of him disgusted the Musalmans and when reading the Quran he

distressed the hearts of the people. A number of innocent boys and

little maidens suffered from the hand of his tyranny, venturing

neither to laugh nor to speak because he would slap the

silver-cheeks of some and put the crystal legs of others into the

stocks. In short, I heard that when his behaviour had attained some

notoriety, he was expelled from the school and another installed as

corrector, who happened to be a religious, meek, good and wise man. He

spoke only when necessary and found no occasion to deal harshly with

anyone so that the children lost the fear they had entertained for

their first master and, taking advantage of the angelic manners of the

second, they acted like demons towards each other and, trusting in his

gentleness, neglected their studies, spending most of their time in

play, and breaking on the heads of each other the tablets' of their

unfinished tasks.

        If the schoolmaster happens to be lenient

        The children will play leapfrog in the bazar.

  Two weeks afterwards I happened to pass near that same mosque

where I again saw the first master whom the people had made glad by

reconciliation and had reinstalled in his post. I was displeased,

exclaimed 'La haul', and asked why they had again made Iblis the

teacher of angels. An old man, experienced in the world, who had heard

me, smiled and said: 'Hast thou not heard the maxim?

    A padshah placed his son in a school,

    Putting in his lap a silver tablet

    With this inscription in golden letters:

    The severity of a teacher is better than the love of a father.'