The dervish hired an actor to go to a certain city and settle there as a religious teacher.
“Gather around you as many disciples as possible,” said the dervish, “pretending that you are a saint.” Having arrived there, I will expose you and show people how stupid they were, trusting the first charlatan they met. Then they will listen to me carefully.
Six months later, the dervish entered this city and went straight to the house of the swindler he had hired. The actor sat surrounded by students who reverently hung on his every word and generously showered him with gifts. Dervish addressed them with the words:
- Know, people, that I sent this swindler to show you how gullible people are, how inclined they are to believe anyone who pretends to be a teacher. Now I will teach you for real.
People grabbed him, tied him with ropes and sent him to a madhouse.
One day the actor approached the window, covered with bars, and said to the dervish:
- Perhaps I'm a fool. But I was smart enough to understand that a wise plan benefits the wise, and a fraudulent plan benefits the swindler.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru