Once upon a time a pilgrim and Chuma met on the road.
-Where are you going? - asked the plague.
- To Mecca, to worship the holy places. And you?
“To Baghdad, to take five thousand people,” answered Plague.
They separated; and a year later they met again on the same road.
“But you deceived me,” the pilgrim said to Chuma. “You said that you would take five thousand people from Baghdad, but you yourself took fifty-five thousand!”
“No,” answered Plague, “I told the truth.” I was in Baghdad and took my five thousand. The rest died of fear.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru