It is said that Juha once caught a large, rare fish and was overjoyed. He decided to present it to the Sultan, hoping for a generous reward. When he arrived at the palace, a guard stopped him from entering and said greedily, “I won’t let you see the Sultan unless you give me half of whatever reward he gives you.” Juha thought for a moment and reluctantly agreed. He entered the Sultan’s court and presented the fish, which greatly impressed the Sultan. Pleased, the Sultan said, “Ask for whatever you wish, Juha.” Juha replied firmly, “Your Excellency, I ask for one hundred lashes.”
The Sultan was astonished by the unusual request and tried to persuade him to ask for money or a position, but Juha insisted on being flogged. The Sultan agreed and ordered the executioner to administer the punishment lightly, taking into account Juha’s age and the fact that he had not committed any crime deserving of punishment. The executioner began striking him gently until he reached fifty lashes. At that point, Juha suddenly cried out, “Stop … stop, executioner! I have a partner in this reward; he must receive his share!”
The Sultan looked at him in surprise and asked who his partner was. Juha replied, “He is your guard, the one at the palace gate, my lord. He demanded half of whatever I would receive from you, otherwise he would prevent me from entering.” The Sultan laughed at Juha’s cunning and ordered the guard to be brought before him immediately. He then instructed the executioner to administer the remaining fifty lashes, this time more firmly, as punishment for the guard’s greed.
The Sultan ordered that the guard be dismissed and imprisoned as a warning to others. He also granted Juha a generous financial reward in recognition of his intelligence and resourcefulness. The moral of the story is that whoever covets what belongs to others unjustly may find that greed leads to humiliation and loss. Those who pursue what is not theirs risk losing what they already have and failing to achieve their goal.
Comforting the poor
It is said that a wise scholar was walking with one of his students through the fields. As they walked, they saw an old pair of shoes and assumed they belonged to a poor man working in a nearby field who would return to collect them after his work.
It is said that a wise scholar was walking with one of his students through the fields. As they walked, they saw an old pair of shoes and assumed they belonged to a poor man working in a nearby field who would return to collect them after his work.
The student said to the scholar, “What do you think, Sir, if we play a trick on this worker and hide his shoes to see what he does?” The wise scholar replied, “We should not amuse ourselves by harming others. My son, you are wealthy and can bring happiness instead. Place some coins inside the poor man’s shoes, then hide and observe his reaction.”
The student liked the idea and placed some coins in the shoes. He and his teacher then hid nearby to watch the worker’s response. After a few minutes, the worker, dressed in shabby clothes, arrived to retrieve his shoes from the field. He was surprised when he put his foot into a shoe and found something inside it. After realizing it was money, he checked the other shoe and found more.
Confused, he looked at the coins repeatedly, making sure he was not imagining it. He looked around but saw no one nearby. He placed the money in his pocket, then fell to his knees and looked up at the sky in tears. He prayed, “Thank You, Lord, for knowing that my wife is ill and my children are hungry and have no food.
Thank You for saving my children and me from hardship.” He remained there for some time, overwhelmed with gratitude for what he believed was a gift from heaven. The disciple was deeply moved, and his eyes filled with tears. “Aren’t you happier now than if you had followed your suggestion?” the wise man asked the disciple. The disciple replied, “You have taught me an unforgettable lesson. Now I understand the meaning of words I never truly understood
