They say that in ancient times there lived in Istanbul a Turk named Bekri-Muyo. He received a huge inheritance from his father, but he ate and drank it all. He walked the streets, wrapped in a woolen blanket, and on his head he wore a strange cap, from under which a pigtail protruded. The Turkish Sultan once met him drunk. He began to reprimand him that he had squandered his father’s wealth and reached such a shame. Bekri-Muyo got angry and said to the Sultan:
- Why do you care that I drink? The money is mine, isn't it? Maybe you think I don't have money? Come on, how much are you selling Istanbul for?
Although the Sultan knew that Bekri-Muya did not have a penny to his name, he thought: what if someone, who has money, persuaded him? And if you promise, then you won’t go back on your word. The Sultan says:
“I won’t sell you all of Istanbul for any money, Muyo, but buy half of it.” And then somehow the two of us will reign.
And Muyo responded:
- Okay. I'll bring you the money tomorrow morning.
The next morning Muyo did not come with the money. The Sultan ordered him to be brought. Muyo came sober and admitted that he did not have a penny - where could he dream of buying Istanbul or at least half of it! The Sultan immediately ordered his execution for lying and playing such a joke on him. Muyo began to ask for forgiveness, and when he saw that this did not help, he said:
“It’s easy for you to destroy me.” But I ask you, show me one last mercy before I die. Find three people in your kingdom: a beggar who does not have a penny to his name, a blind man who does not see anything, and a cripple who has no legs; order them to be brought here, feed and drink them to their fill, and we will see what they will do.
The Sultan agreed. They soon found such people, brought them in, sat them down next to each other, and gave them food and drink. When they had enjoyed their meal, the blind man said:
“Praise be to God and the noble Sultan for feeding us white bread and drinking red wine!”
And the legless cripple attacked him:
- Oh, you damn blind man! How can you know that the bread is white and the wine is red if you don’t see it? I'm about to kick it!
“Beat at my expense, I’m paying,” the beggar supported.
Bekri-Muyo says to the Sultan:
“You see, noble Sultan, what wine does?” The blind man has no eyes, the cripple has no legs, and the beggar has no money, and when they get drunk, the blind man has eyes, the cripple has legs, and the beggar has money. So yesterday it seemed to me that I was rich and could buy Istanbul.
The Sultan understood, forgave Bekri-Muyo and gave him life. But from then on I started thinking: what power does wine have and why do drunkards yearn for it so much? He decided to try it himself and one evening ordered the best wine to be brought. The next day he fell ill. As soon as the news of this spread throughout the palace, doctors came running from all sides. But the Sultan said:
“Only Bekri-Muyo can cure me.” Bring him in immediately.
Bekri-Muyo has arrived. The Sultan told him about his illness and asked what to do.
“Drink what you drank yesterday, and the pain in your head will go away immediately,” Bekri-Muyo answered.
Then the Sultan asks:
- What should you do if you get a headache again?
“Drink more,” Muyo replies.
- Until when?
“Until you have nothing left but a blanket like mine.”
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru