One sultan was sailing with his most beloved servant on a ship. The servant, who had never before set sail on the sea, and especially as a son of the earth, who had never seen the expanses of the sea, sitting in the empty hold of the ship, screamed, complained, trembled and cried. Everyone was kind to him and tried to calm him down.
However, words of sympathy reached only his ears, but not his heart, tormented by fear. The ruler could hardly bear the cries of his servant, and traveling across the blue sea under the blue sky no longer gave him any pleasure.
Then the wise hakim, his court physician, appeared before him. - O lord, if you allow, I can calm him down.
The Sultan immediately agreed.
And then the doctor ordered the sailors to throw the servant into the sea. They willingly carried out the order, as they were glad to get rid of this obnoxious loudmouth. The servant was swinging his legs, gasping for air, clinging to the side wall and begging to be taken onto the ship. They pulled him out of the water by his hair, and he quietly sat down in the corner. Not a single word of complaint escaped his lips again.
The Sultan was amazed and asked the doctor: “What wisdom was hidden behind this act?”
The doctor replied: “Your servant has never tasted the taste of sea salt.” He had no idea how dangerous the water could be. And therefore I could not know what happiness it was to feel the hard boards of the ship’s deck under my feet. You will know the value of calm and self-control only when you have at least once looked danger straight in the eye. You, lord, are always full and don’t know what simple peasant bread tastes like. The girl whom you, for example, consider ugly, is my beloved. There is a difference between someone who has a lover and someone who only passionately awaits her appearance.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru