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Project Gutenberg EPUB edition
Jalal al-Din Rumi, Maulana and Redhouse, James W. (James William), Sir
Jelāl’s first royal protector, ‘Alā’u-’d-Dīn Keyqubād, was now dead, and his son, Gayāsu-’d-Dīn Key-Khusrev, reigned in his stead.
The monarch one day made a feast in the vineyards, and went forth into the fields for a walk, alone. He picked up a young snake, carried it indoors, placed it in a gold box, sealed this up, and then rejoined his courtiers.
To those attendants the king exhibited the sealed packet, as having just then been privately received from the Qaysar27 of Constantinople with a message to this effect: “If your religion of Islām be the true faith, some one of your wise men will be able to see into this packet without breaking its seals, and to tell what it contains.”
The king then called upon his ministers to prove their loyalty to him, and their faithfulness to their religion, by solving this riddle. None of them was able.
The packet was now sent round in succession to all the eminent teachers and theologians of the city; but none could unravel the enigma.
At last it was brought to Jelāl, as Sheykh Ferīdūn and he were sitting together. Jelāl invited Ferīdūn to tell them the contents of the packet; and he immediately replied: “It is not a dignified act in the king to imprison a young snake in a gold box, sealing this up as a packet, and then tempting his courtiers, ministers, and learned men with a false pretence. A saint, however, knows not only the solution of so paltry a trick as this, but is also aware of every thought in the king’s heart, and every secret of earth and heaven.”
When this answer was reported to the king, he came to the college, and professed himself a disciple, remarking: “If the disciples of Shemsu-’d-Dīn possess such power, and work such miracles, how great must have been the sanctity of the murdered martyr.”
Ferīdūn acted for ten years as assistant to Jelāl.