1725) Once there was a vine which realized that people came every year and took its grapes. It observed that nobody ever showed any gratitude. One day a wise man came along and sat down nearby. "This," thought the vine, "is my opportunity to have the mystery solved." It said, "Wise man, as you may have observed, I am a vine. Whenever my fruit is ripe, people come and take the grapes away. None shows any sign of gratitude. Can you explain this conduct to me?" The wise man thought for a time. Then he said, "The reason, in all probability, is that all those people are under the impression that you cannot help producing grapes."

Idries Shah
The Magic Monastery (1972)
Ron Robertson, personal e-mail (2/28/1996)

1726) Once upon a time there was a man of great repute for his wisdom, who lived in a certain town. He told the people about life and death, about the planets and the earth, about history and about every kind of unknown thing. One day a dam burst and the people went running to him to tell them how they could solve the problem. The wise man drew himself up to his full height, "I think that you should avoid asking such puerile questions from a man of the mind. I am not a water engineer, I am a theoretician.

Idries Shah
The Magic Monastery (1972)
Ron Robertson, personal e-mail (2/28/1996)

1727) There was once a man who did one thing right, and one thing wrong, in that order. The first thing was to tell a fool that he was a fool. The second thing was not to have made sure that he was not standing beside a deep well.

Idries Shah
The Magic Monastery (1972)
Ron Robertson, personal e-mail (2/28/1996)

1728) A deer, in flight before a hunting tiger, paused long enough to call out to a mouse whom he saw sitting quietly beside his hole, "The Lord of the Jungle approaches, the Tiger is in a killing mood, flee for your life!" The mouse nibbled a piece of grass and said, "If you had news of a marauding cat, that would be something which might interest me!"

Idries Shah
The Magic Monastery (1972)
Ron Robertson, personal e-mail (2/28/1996)

1729) A dervish was sitting by the roadside when a haughty courier with his retinue, riding past in the opposite direction, struck him with a cane, shouting, "Out of the way, you miserable wretch!" When they had swept past, the dervish rose and called after them, "May you attain all that you desire in the world, even up to its highest ranks!" A bystander, much impressed by this scene, approached the devout man and said to him, "Please tell me whether your words were motivated by generosity of spirit, or because the desires of the world will undoubtedly corrupt that man even more?" "O man of bright countenance, " said the dervish, "has it not occurred to you that I said what I did because people who attain their real desires would not need to ride about striking dervishes?"

Idries Shah
The Magic Monastery (1972)
Ron Robertson, personal e-mail (2/28/1996)

1730) No answer is in itself an answer.

Sufi proverb
quoted by Idries Shah in
Caravan of Dreams (1968)
Ron Robertson, personal e-mail (2/28/1996)

1731) A man of Merv, well known as the home of complicated thinkers, ran shouting one night throughout the city's streets. "Thief, Thief!" he cried. The people surrounded him, and when he was a little calmer, asked, "Where was the thief?" "In my house." "Did you see him?" "No." "Was anything missing?" "No." "How do you know there was a thief, then?" "I was lying in bed when I remembered that thieves break into houses without a sound, and move very quietly. I could hear nothing, so I knew that there was a thief in the house, you fool!"

Niamat Khan
in Caravan of Dreams (1968)
Ron Robertson, personal e-mail (2/28/1996)

1732) A man said to a Dervish, "Why do I not see you more often?" The Dervish replied, "Because the words "Why have you not been to see me?' are sweeter to my ear than the words 'Why have you come again?'"

Mulla Jami
in Caravan of Dreams (1968)
Ron Robertson, personal e-mail (2/28/1996)