55. The Teacher in the Tavern


A man saw a famous teacher enter a tavern. "That teacher is a Muhammad by day but an Abu Lahab by night!" he said in disgust.
"You're wrong," said one of the teacher's disciples. "Come see."
The man entered the tavern. "I see a goblet brimming with Satan's piss in his hand!" he shouted.
"But you are mistaken, good man," said the teacher calmly.
He gave the cup to the man, who saw it was full of honey.
Then the teacher said, "Bring me some wine!"
But all the wine in every wine-jar in the tavern had turned to honey.



Inspired by: The English prose version of Rumi in Tales from the Masnavi by A. J. Arberry.
Notes: This is story 60 in the book. You can read about Muhammad and about Abu Lahab, his uncle, at Wikipedia.



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