48. The Boy and his Candle


A wandering Sufi saw a little boy bringing a candle to the mosque.
The Sufi decided to tease the boy, asking, "Did you light the candle yourself?"
The little boy nodded.
"And what is the source of the light?" the Sufi asked.
"I don't understand," replied the boy.
"It was dark, and then it was light," said the Sufi. "Where did the light come from?"
Smiling, the boy blew out his candle. "It was light, and now it is dark," said the boy. "Where did the light go?"
Thus in the end the wise little boy had humbled the Sufi.



Inspired byThe Little Book of Sufi Parables by Nico Neruda
Notes: This is story 30 in the book. This story is presented as a deathbed story: the Sufi Hassan is dying, and someone asks who his master was. He says he had thousands of masters, and tells stories about a thief, a dog, and a small child.

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