Story 12: The Harsh-Voiced Preacher

A preacher with a grating voice thought himself a fine singer and kept raising his pointless shouts. You would think the croak of the raven of separation was the melody behind his song, or that the verse 'truly the ugliest of voices' was written about him. When the preacher, that father of horsemen, brays, his uproar could shatter the fortress of Persia. Because of his social standing, the villagers endured his affliction and thought it unwise to protest. Until one of the region's preachers, who bore him a secret grudge, came to visit and said: I dreamed a dream about you, may it be a good omen. The man asked: what did you see? He replied: I saw that your voice was sweet, and people were at ease with your recitation. The preacher thought about this for a moment and said: this is a blessed dream you have seen, for you have made me aware of my own fault. Now I know my voice is unpleasant, and that people suffer from my loud reciting. I repent, and from now on I will deliver the sermon only softly. I grow weary of a friend's company, for he makes my bad character look good. He sees my flaw as talent and perfection, my thorn he makes appear as rose and jasmine. Where is that brazen, impure enemy, to show me my own faults?