The tree that didn't know who it was

In a place that could be any place, and in a time that could be any time, there was a lush garden where plants and trees of all kinds grew everywhere. Apple trees, pear trees, orange trees, rose bushes ... In that garden there was joy. All the plants and trees were satisfied and happy. All except one tree that felt deeply sad, because, although its branches were large and green, they bore no flowers or fruit. It grew more slowly than the others. It thought that it might take a little longer to flower, but that it would flower anyway. So it waited patiently, but nothing happened. More than a year went by and it was still almost the same as it was at the beginning. It had a stronger and stronger stem, leaves and branches, but no flowers, let alone fruit, appeared.

The rose bush, which was very friendly, wanted to give it some advice: "Look directly at the sun", he said, "I have looked directly at the sun and you can see how I have blossomed.  I think you are a rose bush and you just need a little more light and warmth to blossom".

The plant listened to him and from then on, every morning it looked at the sun for a long time. It also tried to stretch out so that its rays could reach better. But nothing happened. No flower came out of its branches.
It was then that the apple tree intervened. "The rose bush doesn't know what it's saying", it said. "Actually, you are like me, an apple tree. You just need to absorb the water more intensely. You will see that in a short time you will not only blossom but also bear sweet fruit. Listen to what I say, I know what I'm talking about".

The plant, which was already a small tree, listened attentively to the apple tree. And it thought maybe it was right. So, every time it was watered, it absorbed as much water as possible. It made a great effort and it didn't care. All he wanted was to bear fruit. More than that, he wanted to know who he was! And being an apple tree was something that appealed to him. Some more time passed and nothing happened. The tree did not know who it was; it did not give roses, nor did it give apples ... What kind of tree was it if it was not capable of filling the garden with beauty and fragrance? What defect did it have that made it incapable of being what it was? Deep down within itself, it felt inferior to everyone else.

"A tree that produces nothing is good for nothing", it said to itself ... It was in great sadness until an owl, the wisest of all birds, came to the garden. He saw it so distressed that he perched on one of its branches and tried to strike up a conversation. The tree, who did not know who it was, told him the reasons for this sadness. Then the owl asked permission to inspect it closely. The tree agreed while all the plants watched the scene with curiosity.

After looking from top to bottom, the owl again perched on one of the branches. "I know what's wrong with you”,  he said to everyone's expectation. "You are neither a rose tree, nor an apple tree, nor anything like that. You are an oak tree and you don't have to blossom or bear fruit like others. Your destiny is to grow high up to the sky and become a majestic tree. You will be a nest for birds, a refuge for travelers and the pride of this garden.

Listening to the owl, everyone was amazed. The tree that did not know who it was realised that it had made a mistake in wanting to be like others. The rose tree and the apple tree were a little embarrassed. They wanted to help him, but they couldn't because the rose tree would think like the rose tree and the apple tree would think like the apple tree. They all learned their lesson.

And so the garden became the most beautiful garden ever seen, with the oak tree as a central part of it.

Autor: Anonymous
Source: www.mestreacasa.gva.es

The Disciple

Sheikh Junaid had a disciple whom he preferred above all other disciples, which incited their jealousy; the sheikh, who knew their hearts, perceived this and said to them: "He is superior to you in courtesy and intelligence, let us make an experience so that you too may understand him".

Junaid then ordered twenty birds to be brought to him and said to the disciples: "Let each one take a bird, take it to a place where no one can see it, kill it, and bring it back to me.

All the disciples went away, killed the birds and brought them back. All ... except the favourite disciple, who brought the bird back to him alive.

"Why didn't you kill it?" asked Junaid. "Because the master said it had to be done where no one could see us," replied the disciple. "Well, everywhere I went, God was watching".

"Do you see the extent of his understanding," said Junaid. Then the disciples asked God for forgiveness.

Author: Farid-ud-Din Attar (c.1145-c.1220)
Published in “Le Mémorial des Saints” - translated by Pavet de Courteille (1889)