The Prince Who Forgot to Be Grateful

A prince fell from his dark horse, and the vertebrae in his neck were thrown out of place. His neck sank into his body like an elephant's, so that his head could not turn unless his whole body turned. The doctors were baffled by his case, until a philosopher came from the land of Greece. He twisted the head back and the muscle straightened; if not for him, the prince would have been finished. Later, when the philosopher came before the king, the king did not honor him with a single kind glance. The wise man bowed his head in shame; I heard that as he left he muttered under his breath: If I had not twisted his neck back yesterday, he would not be twisting his face away from me today. He sent a seed by a servant's hand, saying: place this on his incense burner to burn. The smoke made the king sneeze, and his head and neck locked up again just as before. In apology they rushed after the man, searched everywhere, but scarcely found a trace of him. So do not do it: do not turn your neck from thanking the Giver, or on the Last Day you will rise with nothing to show. I heard that an old man, in anger, scolded his son: 'You brazen, shameless boy, I gave you an axe to chop firewood, not to tear down the wall of a mosque.' The tongue was made for thanks and praise; one who knows the truth does not turn it to slander. The ear is a passage for the Quran and good counsel; do not strain it to hear lies and falsehood. The two eyes are good for beholding the Maker's work; look past the faults of your brother and friend.