Bahlool and the Count of Fools

One day, Harun al-Rashid was sitting in his palace, accompanied by Isa ibn Jafar Barmaki and Jafar’s mother. Bored and looking for amusement, the caliph commanded his guards to bring Bahlool to the court to entertain them. The soldiers found Bahlool wandering among the children of the city, brought him before the caliph, and presented him as ordered.

Harun al-Rashid, with a mischievous grin, said to Bahlool, “Count some fools for us!”

Bahlool, without hesitation, declared, “The first fool is myself,” and then, pointing to Jafar’s mother, he added, “The second fool is her.”

Outraged by the audacity of Bahlool’s words, Isa ibn Jafar shouted, “How dare you speak of Jafar’s mother in such a manner? Woe to you!”

Bahlool, unfazed, chuckled and said, “The one shouting is the third fool.”

This time, it was Harun al-Rashid who lost his temper. Furious, he yelled, “Get this madman out of my palace immediately! He’s humiliating us!”

As the guards dragged Bahlool out of the court, he called out with a sly grin, “And you, Harun, are the fourth fool!”

The entire court erupted in laughter, and even Harun, despite his anger, couldn’t help but marvel at Bahlool’s clever wit. Once again, Bahlool had used his supposed madness to reveal the absurdity of arrogance and pride in a way that left everyone amused yet reflective.