Sunday, June 28, 2009

A Taste of Persian Culture: The Story of Luck

(This story was published by permission. Original story is here, and lessons on speaking Parsi may be found on the same site. Thank you, Hassan!)

Iran Esfahan _DSC7102Image by youngrobv (Rob & Ale) via Flickr

Years ago, a poor peasant was trying to change his life. Whatever he tried was useless; he was still poor and helpless. One day, while working on his land, he thought: "I have done everything I could to get a better life. Why can't I change it? Maybe my luck is sleeping in a very far away land! I'd better go and awaken my damned luck. It will certainly change my life!" He then decided.

He then left everything to find his sleeping Luck. Days and nights passed as he traveled impatiently toward his luck. Somewhere on the way, he came across to a very weak lion. "Where are you going man?" The lion asked. "I'm going to awaken my sleeping luck to change my life." The man replied proudly. The lion said, "I have been seriously sick for a long time. Please tell your luck about my situation and ask him to prescribe something for me so that I can get well again." The man agreed and kept on traveling.

After some time he met a farmer sitting under an old tree crying. "Why are you crying?" The man asked as he came close to him. The farmer said, "I'm so poor that I can't feed my family properly. My children are always hungry. I don't know what will happen to them in future. By the way, who are you and where are you going now?" the farmer asked. "I have been as helpless as you till now. But I'm now going to find my luck that is sleeping in a very far away land. Then I will be helpless no more," The man answered proudly. The farmer then requested the man to ask his luck about his situation and find him a way out of his difficulties. The man agreed and left.

Somewhere on his way, he entered a village whose ruler was very old and disappointed. The village gatemen took the man as a stranger to the ruler. The man explained the whole story to the ruler. The ruler said: "I consider myself unsuccessful as I have no son who could inherit my position. I'm so old now and people don't obey me any longer. Please tell your luck about my problems and ask for a solution." The man agreed and went.

He finally found his luck sleeping in a very old shack. He awakened his luck very enthusiastically and explained everything to him. "Don't worry," The luck said, "From now on I will be with you in whatsoever you are doing. Tell the ruler that if he lets his only daughter marry, she will give birth to a very smart son who can handle the job. The farmer has got a precious treasury under the same tree where he is always crying. The lion must have the brain of a stupid human to treat his disease." After the man listened to the luck carefully, he became so happy because his luck had been awakened now.

On the way back, the man went to the ruler and explained it all to him. "What a good opportunity this is!" The ruler thought, "This man can save my dynasty. I'll ask him to marry my daughter," he decided. The man nevertheless rejected the ruler's offer and said, "I have just awakened my luck. I'm going to be a lucky man. I can't have myself chained here! I'm going to find my bright future."

He then went to the farmer and helped him find the treasury. "Come and stay here with us. We will be rich enough to have a very happy life together," The farmer said pointing to the treasury they had found. The man laughed and said, "Stay here? You must be kidding! I have just awakened my luck. I am going to be a lucky man."

At the end, he went to the lion and explained the whole story to him. "What an unbelievably stupid man this human is!" The lion thought, " He has rejected such excellent offers so carelessly to find a better life in the future. I don't believe I'll find one more stupid than him. If I want to get well again, the brain of this stupid man will be the best medicine for me!" The lion then decided.

By: Hassan H.

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