Story 15: The Dismissed Minister

One of the king's ministers was dismissed from office and joined a circle of dervishes. The blessing of their company took hold in him, and his mind found peace. Later the king felt kindly toward him again and offered him the post back. He refused, and said: To be out of office among the wise is better than to be busy with power. Those who sat down quietly in the corner of safety shut the mouths of dogs and the tongues of people alike. They tore up the paper and broke the pen, and escaped the reach of every fault finding tongue. The king said: But surely we need a capable, wise man fit to manage the affairs of the kingdom. He replied: My king, the very sign of a capable, wise man is that he refuses to take on such work. The phoenix is nobler than all other birds for one reason: it feeds on bones and harms no living thing. They asked the lynx: Why did you choose to stay close by the lion? He said: I eat the leftovers of his kill, and under the shelter of his might I live safe from my enemies. They said: Now that you have come under his protection and admit gratitude for his favor, why not draw nearer, so he takes you into his inner circle and counts you among his loyal servants? He answered: Even so, I am not safe from his sudden violence. A fire worshipper may tend the flame for a hundred years, but if he falls in for one moment, it burns him. It happens that the king's boon companion is showered with gold, and it also happens that his head is taken. The wise have said: Beware the shifting moods of kings, for at one moment they take offense at a greeting, and at another they reward an insult with a robe of honor. And it is said that too much jesting is a virtue in courtiers but a flaw in the wise. Keep to your own worth and dignity; leave the games and jesting to the courtiers.