The Thirsty Dog

A man found a thirsty dog in the desert, so far gone there was barely any life left in it. That good-natured man made his hat into a bucket and tied his turban to it like a rope. He rolled up his sleeves and bent to the task, and gave the helpless dog a drink of water. The Prophet told what became of that man: God forgave all his sins. So if you have been cruel, stop and think: choose loyalty instead, and make kindness your habit. No one ever lost by being good, even to a dog; how could kindness be wasted on a good person? Do all the good you possibly can: the keeper of the world shuts the door of goodness on no one. Giving away heaps of gold from a hoarded treasure is worth less than a single coin earned by your own labor. Each person carries a load that matches their strength; a locust's leg is a heavy weight for an ant.