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MARCH, 1891.]
FOLKLORE IN WESTERN INDIA; No. 16.
109
unscathed. You told me yesterday that Allah considered it fit to pat a thorn in your way and thus caused you to suffer pain, and you naturally enough thought Allah to be very unkind. What will you say, however, when Allah declares that that very thorn was the means of saving your life, as you will learn presently. At the exact minute that that thorn entered your foot, it was decreed that you should be accused of some great crime which you had never committed, and that your head should be cut off. But seeing that you had been good and dutiful all your life, and had, moreover, just then exerted yourself to save a human being from death, Allah was pleased with you, and he in his mercy substituted the thorn for the headsman's sword, since, as I told you before, it is not in his power to avert a man's destiny, and the few drops of blood that flowed from your foot compensated for the life-blood which, it was ordained, should flow in abundance that very same moment from your neck. Don't you now think that, by thus saving your life, Allah amply rewarded you for all your good acts ? Learn, therefore, always to bow to his will, however unintelligible his ways may appear to you at first sight."
The poor good-natured water-carrier was so struck with all that he had heard, and, WAS so overcome with grief and shame at the idea of ever having doubted the justice and wisdom of Allah, that he fell on his knees and prayed loudly to him to forgive him, and then, kissing the feet of Gabriel, he besought him to intercede on his behalf and obtain for him the pardon of Allah.
And now came the faqir's turn, for he too was impatient to hear why Allah had thought fit to keep him so very poor; so tarning to him, Gabriel said:
“My good man, I am really very sorry for you, as is also Allah himself, for he says you have been destined to remain most miserably poor. In fact, Allah says, he does not see how to keep your body and soul together for the rest of your life, for you have still a good many years to live, and there are only five rupees left now out of what you were destined to earn during the whole term of your existence. You will therefore have to pass the rest of your life in a much poorer and still more miserable condition, than you are in now."
“Is it indeed sop” cried the mendicant in a despairing tone, with tears in his eyes.
“Alas! it is but too true," replied the Angel ; "and now detain me no further; for I must go.”
But the faqêr caught hold of him by the hem of his garment, for an idea had entered his head just then, and said :
« Gabriel, good Angel, do hear me for a minute more. Wilt thou go once more and ask Allah to send the messenger of death to me at once, so that I may be spared the uneasinges and misery I am destined to suffer ? Do pray to him, however, to send me first the five rupees still reserved for me, so that, before I die, I may taste of some at least of the many good things: that I constantly see everywhere but have never been fortunate enough to partake of. If you tell Allah all this, good Angel, I am sure he will grant me what I ask."
Gabriel agreed to carry the message to Allah, and quickly disappeared.
The mendicant and the water-carrier soon afterwards parted company and went their respective ways. The faqir, in due course, arrived at his hut, and after saying his prayers with great devotion in the belief that he was soon to go to the other world, lay down to sleep.
The next day when he opened his eyes, what was his delight to see exactly five rupees lying by his side! He took them up eagerly and hurried with them to the bazár. There he saw ever so many nice things spread out before him. No end of sweetmeats and fruit and vegetables to eat and beautiful clothes to wear, such as he had never in his whole life dreamt even of touching ! But that day he thought himself rich enough to buy anything. As fine clothes, however, possessed no interest for a man who was about to die the next morning, he invested all the five rupees in buying toothsome eatables and delicious sharbats, and went back to his hat rejoicing:
