Bahlool and the Condition of Patience and Tolerance

One day, Bahlool was walking along the road when a handsome man approached him. Bahlool asked him a question, but the man responded harshly and with a scowl. Bahlool replied, “With such a beautiful exterior and such an unpleasant interior, you are like a golden vessel filled with vinegar.”

Later, a miserly man asked Bahlool, “What is the condition of patience and tolerance?” Bahlool replied, “It is when, at a feast, a piece of bread falls from your plate, and instead of breaking the guest’s head, you simply let it go.”

In this story, Bahlool humorously criticizes the man’s appearance and behavior, using the metaphor of a golden vessel filled with vinegar. His reply about patience highlights how true tolerance is about not letting small irritations cause anger or harm.