Once, a King asked a Sufi for help.
As a reward, the Sufi received a golden bowl filled with water and a fish.
It was a beautiful bowl, studded with diamonds, but watching the fish, the Sufi felt a deep sadness.
Seeing the fish swimming back and forth, sometimes changing direction or swimming in circles, he thought to free the fish from this prison.
He took the bowl and carefully walked to a nearby lake, knelt down, and emptied it.
Sharing his thoughts with the fish about the freedom awaiting him, he forgot to look after the bowl that now floated outside his reach.
Still happy that the fish was now free, the Sufi walked back home with the intention of visiting the lake the next day to see if he could find his bowl again.
Nearing the place where he had left the day before, he saw the gold and diamonds glimmering and glittering in the sunlight from afar.
But to his great surprise, as he came closer, he saw the fish swimming back and forth in the bowl.
Emptying the bowl carefully while now keeping it in his hands, he watched how the fish slowly swam in a circle.
Satisfied, the Sufi bowed to rinse the bowl, but before he could react, the fish jumped back from the water straight into the bowl again.
Incredible, the Sufi thought and tried again to free the fish, but no matter what he tried, the fish kept swimming back into the bowl.
Ultimately, the Sufi had no choice but to take the bowl with the fish inside back home.
Anonymous
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