Bahlool and the Two Fools

Two fools were walking along the road when one said, “Let’s make a wish and not notice how long the road is.” The first fool said, “I wish that God would give me a thousand sheep, so I can benefit from their wool, milk, lambs, and goats—take that, you envious people!” The second fool said, “I wish that God would give me a thousand hungry wolves and throw them into your flock, so they eat your sheep, one by one—take that, you miserly people!”

The owner of the imaginary sheep said, “Aren’t you ashamed of yourself? You want to throw wolves into my flock and ruin my lawful property?” The owner of the wolves replied, “Aren’t you ashamed of yourself? You eat all that wool, milk, lamb, and goat without ever considering my rights!” The first fool said, “Your rights are not my responsibility, and I have so many family members to care for, I can’t consider yours.” The owner of the wolves said, “And it’s not my responsibility to consider you, with your stinginess and greed. I will not tolerate this.”

The two of them began to fight, throwing punches, and soon they were covered in blood, exhausted. They sat by the side of the road, when they saw Bahlool approaching, riding a donkey carrying a small bag of melted honey. The two fools said to each other, “Let’s ask this man to judge between us.” As Bahlool approached, they stood up, greeted him, and explained their situation.

Bahlool drew a knife, cut the bag open, and poured all the honey onto the ground. He then said, “My blood is like this honey spilled on the ground because I have never seen two bigger fools than you!”

Bahlool’s action of spilling the honey reflects his frustration with the foolishness of the two men, and his solution exposes the absurdity of their quarrel.

These tales show Bahlool’s characteristic wisdom and wit in dealing with various situations, using humor to highlight human flaws and impart valuable lessons.