Story 18

  I noticed the son of a rich man, sitting on the grave of his

father and quarreling with a dervish-boy, saying: 'The sarcophagus

of my father's tomb is of stone and its epitaph is elegant. The

pavement is of marble, tesselated with turquois-like bricks. But

what resembles thy father's grave? It consists of two contiguous

bricks with two handfuls of mud thrown over it.' The dervish-boy

listened to all this and then observed: 'By the time thy father is

able to shake off those heavy stones which cover him, mine will have

reached paradise.'

        An ass with a light burden

        No doubt walks easily.

    A dervish who carries only the load of poverty

    Will also arrive lightly burdened at the gate of death

    Whilst he who lived in happiness, wealth and ease

    Will undoubtedly on all these accounts die hard.

    At all events, a prisoner who escapes from all his bonds

    Is to be considered more happy than an amir taken prisoner.