Masnavi - Stories that make you think!

Here is story!
Or is it?

Read and meditate on it!
You will understand!

THE STORY OF THE PARROT AND THE SHOPKEEPER

A certain shopkeeper kept a parrot as a pet. The parrot was green in color and had a very melodious voice. The shopkeeper had a great love for the parrot. The parrot used to speak a lot and entertain the clients in the shop. One day the shopkeeper had gone out. It so happened that a cat was trying to catch a mouse. The parrot got the impression that the cat was trying to attack him and thus fled to one side, to avoid being caught. As it did so, a bottle of almond oil which was placed there fell down and the oil spilled over. When the shopkeeper came back, he noticed the oiliness of the floor mat and immediately realized that the almond oil had been spilled. He became so angry that he struck the parrot on its head a number of times. This action of his caused the parrot's head to become bald. The parrot became so displeased with the shopkeeper that from that day onward it stopped talking.

The parrot's silence caused the shopkeeper great anguish. He was very sorry and

wondered what to do in order to make the parrot speak again, as its speech had provided him with great pleasure up to then. For many days he tried to please the parrot through flattery, but the parrot remained silent. He fed the parrot with various kinds of fruit in order to make him happy, but still the parrot would not speak. Even the clients who came to the shop, were surprised at the parrot's silence and were sorry at this state of affairs.

One day a beggar, covered in a blanket and having a bald head went past the shop. On

seeing the bald headed beggar the parrot spoke in a loud voice: "O bald-headed one, how did you become bald? You must have also caused a bottle of oil to spill over".