The Khalif Emir sat upon his throne,
He ravaged all the land till he was left alone.
The Brahmin Mufti came his throne before,
He told a tale all full of learned lore;
“An ancient owl he sat upon a tree,
A younger owl, and he would married be,
He asked him for a boon and dowry fair,
Since he to all his property was heir.
He said, ‘My son, I have it not to give
But if one year our khalif he should live,
I’ll give you, dearest duck, as sure as fate
One hundred farms all waste and desolate.’”
He ceased his tale: he gazed upon his face,
He saw his tears come trickling down apace,
He thought upon it for an hour or more,
He did what he had never done before,
He changed his conduct, he the people bless’d
(No more he made them weep)
And the land was steeped in happiness
(Full eighteen inches deep.)
Moral: “Change your conduct.”