The Battles Of Wits

One day a boastful magician came to the court of a king.

"Your Majesty, I am the cleverest man in your kingdom," he declared, "I challenge anyone to refute that."

"I refuse it," said the court jester. "Let us have a competition. If you can do with your eyes open, what I can do with my eyes shut, then you win the competition. And I will give you 100 gold coins. But if you can't, then you have to pay me that amount,"

"You are anxious to lose your money, it seems!" laughed the magician. "Let's begin the competition."

"Bring some burning hot sand," the court jester ordered the gaurds. He picked up some of the sand quickly, and threw it on his own dace, but kept his eyes shut.

"Now," he said to the magician, "Can you do the same thing with your eyes open?"

The magician had to say he could not. He didn't want to blind himself!

"Then you lose the competition," said the king. "Pay my clever jester 100 gold coins and always remember - only fools boost, clever people never do!"

The Real Feast

When Saadi, the famous Persian author, visited India, he was the chief guest at several lavish feasts.

After every feast, Saadi thanked his host for the evening, by saying, “That was an excellent meal, but for a real feast, you must come to my home town Shiraz.”

A few months later, one of his Indian hosts visited Shiraz. Saadi welcomed him warmly, made him comfortable and then they both had a tasty, but simple meal/

Saadi invited many Persian writers to meet his Indian guests. On every occasion, a well cooked but simple meal was served. There were no signs of the “real feast” that Saadi had spoken of in India.

After several days, when the Indian was leaving, he could not restrain his curiosity. “I am most grateful for your kind hospitality, “he said to Saadi, “but you had earlier mentioned a real feast…”

“You have been tasting it at every meal, “Saadi said gently. “The great feasts I was invited to in India were just for one evening. Here in Shiraz, you are welcome to share our simple food s long as you like. That is why we call it the real feast!”