Once upon a time there lived a mosquito named Namus, who was nicknamed the Shrewd Namus for his subtle intelligence. One day, after reflecting on his life and guided by very plausible and compelling reasons, Namus decided to change his home. He chose the ear of an elephant as his new abode, for this kind of house seemed to him the most suitable and comfortable.
So, all that remained was to carry out the plan, so that soon Namus settled in a spacious and very comfortable ear.
After some time, Namus produced several generations of mosquitoes. In his life, periods of intense work alternated with periods of rest and peace, joy gave way to sadness, searches were crowned with achievements; in a word, his fate was the fate of all mosquitoes in the world.
The Elephant's Ear was his home, and, as happens in such cases, he felt that his whole life, his history, his very being was inextricably linked with this place. He constantly maintained this feeling in himself until it became a part of him. The ear was so warm, so cozy, so spacious. Here he had to experience so much...
Upon entering this house, Namus, naturally, did not do without politeness ceremonies befitting the occasion. Before moving into his new home, he squeaked with all his might to the elephant about his decision.
“O elephant,” he cried, “know that none other than me, the mosquito Namus, nicknamed the Perceptive, is going to settle here.” And since this is your ear, I, wanting to observe custom, inform you of my decision.
The elephant did not object.
And Namus moved in, completely unaware that the elephant simply did not hear him. To be fair, he did not even feel the mosquito with its entire large family entering his ear. Not being a naturally uncourteous creature, he simply did not even know about the existence of some kind of mosquito.
But some time passed, and Namus, prompted by compelling and urgent reasons, decided to change his home again. And, like the first time, he decided that he had the right to do this only in accordance with an established and time-honored tradition. He began to prepare in advance to explain to the elephant his decision to leave his ear.
So, having finally confirmed his decision and having rehearsed his farewell monologue well, he shouted it into the elephant’s ear. But I didn't receive any answer.
He shouted again, but the elephant still remained silent. Then Namus, determined to make the elephant hear his annoying but eloquent words, took a deep breath and shouted for the third time:
- O elephant, know that I, the Perceptive Namus, intend to leave my hearth and home, leave my residence in your ear, in which I have lived for so long. And for this I have very good reasons, and I want to lay them out to you.
Finally, the mosquito's words reached the elephant's ears, and he was able to make out them.
While he was thinking about them, the mosquito continued:
- What will you answer me to this? What's your opinion on this?
The elephant slowly raised his huge head and trumpeted:
“Go in peace, for truly your departure has the same meaning for me as your arrival had.”
This parable of the Astute Namus, at first glance, may seem to be a caustic reference to the supposed futility of life. Such an understanding of the parable, a Sufi would say, speaks of the reader’s insensitivity!
What the inner meaning should be emphasized in this story is the lack of human judgment about the relative importance of life's values. A person often considers things that are actually of great importance to be unimportant, while ordinary things, in his opinion, are very significant.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru