One day the padishah, without servants or retinue, left the city gates. And he met Ali Muhammad, a man known for his cheerful and impudent disposition.
The ruler stopped Ali Muhammad and asked him the following question:
- Tell me, is the padishah in your country cruel?
Ali Muhammad replied:
– Cruel is not the right word. Beast! Then the padishah asked:
- Don’t you recognize me?
- How can I know you, stranger? The padishah frowned:
- So know this, insignificant one: you are talking to your padishah. And you insulted him!
- Well, you see! – Ali Muhammad responded carefree. - So, it’s not for nothing that everyone says that I’m crazy: I don’t recognize anyone, not even my master, who, although cruel, is not so cruel as to execute a madman!
The padishah smiled gloomily:
– Your speeches are truthful and reasonable. Truly, they are too truthful, too reasonable - you simply cannot believe that you are crazy. You're pretending! And to execute you for this lie will not be cruel at all, but only fair!
But Ali Muhammad was found here too:
- O lord, I don’t dare argue with you, but you argue with yourself: first you admitted that I was truthful, and then you didn’t believe that I was crazy. But would anyone other than a madman tell the truth to the ruler?..
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru