Sufi Stories

A Matter of Judgment

One day a man came to the house of the Cogia and asked him to lend him his ass.

'He is not at home,' replied the Cogia. But it just so happened that the ass began to bray within.

'O Cogia Efendi,' said the man, 'you say that the ass is not at home, and there he is braying within.'

'What a strange fellow you are!' said the Cogia.
'You believe the ass, but will not believe a grey-bearded man like me.'

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The Splendid Pelisse

One day Cogia Efendi went to a bridal festival. The master of the feast observing his old and wretched garments, paid him no consideration whatsoever.

The Cogia saw that he had no chance of notice, so going out he hurried to his house, and putting on a splendid pelisse, returned to the place of festival.

No sooner did he enter the door than the master advanced to meet him, and saying, 'Welcome, Cogia Efendi,' with all imaginable honour and reverence placed him at the head of the table, and said, 'Please to eat, Lord Cogia.'

Forthwith the Cogia taking hold of one of the furs of his pelisse, said, 'Welcome, my pelisse, please to eat, my lord.'

The master looking at the Cogia with great surprise, said, 'What are you about?'

Whereupon the Cogia replied, 'It is quite evident that all the honour paid is paid to my pelisse, so let it have some food too.'

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The Cauldron is Dead

One day the Cogia borrowed a cauldron of a brazier, and carrying it home, put a little saucepan into it, and then carrying it back, returned it to its owner.

The owner seeing a little saucepan in the cauldron, said, 'What is this?'

'Why,' cried the Cogia, 'the cauldron has borne a child', whereupon the owner took possession of the saucepan.

One day the Cogia asked again for the cauldron, and having obtained it, carried it home. The owner of the cauldron waited one day and even five days for his utensil, but no cauldron coming, he went to the house of the Cogia and knocked at the door.

The Cogia coming to the door, said, 'What do you want?'

'The cauldron,' said the man.

'Oh, set your heart at rest,' said the Cogia, 'the cauldron is dead.'

'O Cogia,' said the man, 'can a cauldron die?'

'Oh,' said the Cogia, 'as you believed it could bear a child, why should you not believe that it can die?'

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