A Feast for Clothes

[Guest guest]

(A Feast for Clothes):

 

Once upon a time in the Iranian city of Shiraz, there lived the famous poet

Sheikh Saadi.

 

Like most other poets and philosophers,Sheikh Saadi was not a rich man. He led a

very simple life. A rich merchant of Shiraz invited Sheikh Saadi along with a

lot of other big businessmen of the town on the occasion of his daughter's

marriage which was to be a grand affair. Sheikh Saadi accepted the invitation

and decided to attend.

 

 

On the day of the wedding, the host and his family were receiving the guests at

the gate. They were ushering all the guests towards the dining hall. All the

rich people of the town attended the wedding. They had come out in best of their

attires. Sheikh Saadi wore simple clothes which were neither grand nor

expensive.

 

 

He waited in a corner for someone to approach him but no one gave him as much as

even a second glance. Even the host did not acknowledge him and looked away.

Seeing all this, Sheikh Saadi quietly left the party and went to a shop from

where he could hire clothes. There he chose a richly brocaded dress which was

embroidered in gold on the margins. He selected a fancy turban and a waist-band

to go with it. As he put on the hired dress and looked into the mirror, he found

himself a changed person.

 

 

With this, Sheikh Saadi entered the dining hall and this time was welcomed with

open arms. The host embraced him as he would do to an old friend and

complimented him on the clothes he was wearing.

 

 

On seeing Sheikh Saadi, host said? And here comes our favorite poet What took

you so long, friend? We have been waiting for you for ages! How good of you to

have come. The gathering surely would have been incomplete without your gracious

presence! Sheikh Saadi did not utter a word and allowed the host to lead him to

the dining room where other guests had assembled. Tasty dishes had been laid out

on grand carpets. Sheikh Saadi was offered a seat with soft cushions. The food

was served in fine crockery and cutlery made out of silver.

 

 

The host led Sheikh Saadi by hand and himself served out the chicken soup and

the fragrant rice to him. After this, something strange happened. Sheikh Saadi

dipped the corner of his waist-coat in the soup and sprinkled some rice on it.

Addressing the clothes, he said: This is a feast for you, you should enjoy it.

 

 

All the guests were now staring at him in surprise. The host said? Sir, what are

doing ? How can your clothes eat? And why should they ? To this query, Sheikh

Saadi very calmly replied: My dear friend, I am indeed surprised with the

question coming from you?

 

 

Aren't you the same person who did not even throw a look at me when I came

dressed in simple clothes ? I can guess that it is my clothes and appearance

that matter with you, not my individual worth. Now that I have put on grand

clothes, I see a world of difference in reception here. All that I can now say

is that this feast is meant for my clothes, not for me