Bahlool’s Saffron Wisdom: Outsmarting the Ottoman Envoy

There was a time when the Persians faced great hardships, and these difficulties sharpened the Ottoman Sultan’s appetite for conquest. The Sultan, eager to expand his empire, turned his attention to the troubles of the Persians. To intimidate them and further his ambitions, an envoy was sent to Persia. As was customary, the envoy was welcomed with great respect and seated in a palace, where he was served in a grand manner. When the time came for official negotiations, the ambassadors agreed that this was a delicate matter, and without Bahlool’s presence, it would be unwise to proceed. The wise minister suggested, and the people agreed, to invite Bahlool, as his presence was crucial for the diplomatic matter. Bahlool, wise and familiar with the ups and downs of the world, said nothing and agreed to attend.

A feast was prepared, and as customary, they honored the guest with their hospitality. Bahlool sat across from the Ottoman envoy at the table. Large platters of rice were brought in, beautifully arranged with saffron on top. Suddenly, the Ottoman envoy grabbed a knife and took all the saffron from the rice towards himself, glancing at Bahlool. Bahlool said nothing. He then picked up a spoon, gracefully took half of the saffron for himself, and left the other half for the envoy.

The envoy, upset by this, began stirring the rice violently with his knife, causing chaos. The saffron was scattered, and rice was flung all over the table. Bahlool calmly reached into his pocket and threw two walnuts onto the rice. The envoy, now furious, could not bear the situation and abruptly left the table without eating.

The Ottomans, leaving without their meal, hastily mounted their horses and departed. The wise minister, seeing the chaos, was perplexed and troubled. His face turned as yellow as the saffron, and he said to Bahlool, “What was this? The whole table has been ruined, and now our future is uncertain.” Bahlool calmly replied, “The negotiations have ended, and it couldn’t have been better.”

The minister, confused, asked, “How so?” Bahlool explained, “When the envoy took the knife and pulled all the saffron toward himself, he said two things: first, that he used a knife, not a spoon, meaning he was claiming the whole world for himself, as if to say, ‘It is all ours, submit.’ But I took the spoon and only half of the saffron, meaning, ‘Half for you, and half for us.’ When he grew upset and stirred the rice, I threw the walnuts on the rice. The walnuts, which are called ‘Joz’ in Qom and Ray, are understood as a symbol of ‘two,’ indicating that when there are two, everyone knows what happens. You, being Iranian, should understand this; how can you not?”

The minister, embarrassed, praised Bahlool for his wisdom.

And so it was that Bahlool, who was indeed considered mad and had many eccentricities, was also acknowledged for his wisdom. In the face of the crisis, he proved to be more insightful than any pompous philosopher or narrow-minded scholar.

This story demonstrates Bahlool’s wit and cleverness in handling delicate situations, showing how, even in the midst of apparent madness, he possessed the wisdom to navigate complex affairs.