Pleasant Stories & Anecdotes — Page 9
Pleasant Stories—Story Of A Parrot 9 that his friend had visited in his absence. The homeowner became very worried and asked, ‘What did he say?’ The slave girl replied, ‘He asked me for the key to the safe. He opened the safe himself and took some money from the safe and left’. The homeowner was ecstatic and proud of the act of the slave girl. He freed the slave girl because she complied with the demand of his friend and did not disappoint him. He said, ‘I free you today as a reward for performing such a noble deed’. (Malf ūzā t, vol. 5, p. 268) Story of a Parrot Saints say that it is necessary for every person who wishes to meet God that he must pass through the gate of death. A story is related in Mathnawī to explain this point that there was a man who had a parrot. As he prepared to go on a journey, he asked the parrot if it had something to say. The parrot said, ‘If you happen to pass a certain place, you will find a big tree. There will be many parrots on it. Convey my message to them that they are very fortunate to lead a free life in the open, whereas I am unfor- tunate to be in prison’. When the man reached that particular tree, he delivered the message to the parrots. One of the parrots fell from the tree and fluttered to death. The man felt extremely sorry for causing the parrot’s death. However, he could do nothing except to remain patient. When he returned from his journey, he narrated the whole