Story No. 14

A dervish, driven by need, stole a rug from the house of a friend. The ruler ordered that his hand be cut off. The owner of the rug pleaded for him, saying: I have forgiven him. The ruler said: Even for your sake, I will not set aside the punishment prescribed by law. The man said: What you have declared is true, yet whoever steals from property given as charitable endowment need not have his hand cut off, for 'a poor man owns nothing.' Whatever belongs to dervishes is an endowment for the needy. The ruler let him go and began to reproach him, saying: Had the whole world grown so narrow for you that you could rob no house but the house of such a friend? He replied: My lord, haven't you heard the saying: Sweep clean the house of friends, and do not knock at the door of enemies? When hard times trap you, don't surrender to helplessness; strip the enemy's skin bare, but from friends take the whole warm coat.