One day the padishah and his retinue were riding across a field. Suddenly he sees some decrepit old man planting an olive tree. The padishah was surprised, drove up to the old man and asked him:
- Greybeard, what are you doing on a hot afternoon? It’s high time for you to rest, but you still work! And besides, Allah himself does not know whether you will live to see the day when this tree begins to bear fruit.
- O almighty lord! After all, this is the way it is in this world - that one plants trees - and the fruit goes to another. But I still hope to live to see the day when the tree bears fruit,” the old man added with a smile.
The padishah liked this answer, and he threw the old man a wallet with coins.
- You see! – the old man laughed. – The tree has already begun to bear fruit!
The padishah laughed and threw another wallet to the old man.
- O great padishah! Please note that all trees bear fruit only once a year, but mine bears fruit twice!
The padishah liked this joke even more. He threw the third wallet to the old man and said to his companions:
- Let's go, friends! Otherwise, we will be completely ruined if we still stand next to this old man.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru