The Shia, the Sunni and the Gypsy thief
Once upon a time around 1000 years ago, there lived two rich merchants in a town called Mugsville. One was a Shia and one was a Sunni. They both bought and sold fine shawls made of the most luxurious cloth. Each had his own market and there was no real need for them to cross each others path even though neither approved of each other’s style of beard. Sharaz the Shia didn’t like like Wasir the Sunnis style of parting his beard down the middle, and Wasir thought Sharaz’s beard was an inch too short, but what the heck, they were both selling lots of shawls.
Meanwhile, Shlomo the Gypsy, used to have a hard life, he didn’t have a house of his own and he didn’t have the money to buy shawls to sell. He survived by stealing nik-naks and trinkets and selling them to milk maids. This didn’t really go far though, and he often used to stare enviously at Sharaz and Wasir parading around in their finery, wearing the best tunics made of hand-woven cloth and mocassins made of luxurious leather, stroking their beards with great pomp.
One day, Shlomo heard a rumour that neither of these fine merchants approved of each other’s beards and his cunning mind hatched a devious plan. He spread a rumour amongst the Nai’s (hairdressers) that Sharaz and Wasir were both going to declare each other’s beards unbecoming for shawl traders and each was going to move in on their competitor’s clients on account of beard suitability.
Naturally, hairdressers like a bit of chit-chat, and soon these rumours were spreading like wildfire, and when Sharaz and Wasir heard about them they were furious and both vowed to insult each other’s beards in the town square. Word was sent round and soon a large crowd had gathered for the noon showdown. Both merchants arrived wrapped in their best shawls, hair slicked back with Maasi Mai’s hair oil. Soon they were in full flow, hurling insults at each other’s beards, cursing even the relatives of their respective beards from 4 generations back. In all the hubub, nobody noticed Shlomo the Gypsy Thief, sneaking between the pair of them and tying both beards in a knot. Skilfully, he removed both of their bags of gold and crept away from the crowd. A small girl saw him skulking away and called out. Yasir and Sharaz, suddenly realising what had happened, shouted and tried to run after him, but with their beards tied together, they kept getting in a tangle and falling down.
Anyway, Shlomo the Gypsy got away, used the money to buy some shawls, and became the biggest shawl trader in Mugsville. Sharaz and Wasir’s customers all eventually ended up with Shlomo, because those two were still arguing about their respective beard defects, and besides, they’d lost most of their money to Shlomo in the Big Beard Battle (as it came to be known).
To this day, it is rumoured that the ancestors of Sharaz and Wasir are still arguing over beards, but Shlomo’s ancestors are doing fine running a vast business empire dealing in Shawls and beard accessories. his best customers are Ancestors of Sharaz and Wasir.
~Moral of the story~ : Don’t carry cash; carry a credit card instead.
Once upon a time around 1000 years ago, there lived two rich merchants in a town called Mugsville. One was a Shia and one was a Sunni. They both bought and sold fine shawls made of the most luxurious cloth. Each had his own market and there was no real need for them to cross each others path even though neither approved of each other’s style of beard. Sharaz the Shia didn’t like like Wasir the Sunnis style of parting his beard down the middle, and Wasir thought Sharaz’s beard was an inch too short, but what the heck, they were both selling lots of shawls.
Meanwhile, Shlomo the Gypsy, used to have a hard life, he didn’t have a house of his own and he didn’t have the money to buy shawls to sell. He survived by stealing nik-naks and trinkets and selling them to milk maids. This didn’t really go far though, and he often used to stare enviously at Sharaz and Wasir parading around in their finery, wearing the best tunics made of hand-woven cloth and mocassins made of luxurious leather, stroking their beards with great pomp.
One day, Shlomo heard a rumour that neither of these fine merchants approved of each other’s beards and his cunning mind hatched a devious plan. He spread a rumour amongst the Nai’s (hairdressers) that Sharaz and Wasir were both going to declare each other’s beards unbecoming for shawl traders and each was going to move in on their competitor’s clients on account of beard suitability.
Naturally, hairdressers like a bit of chit-chat, and soon these rumours were spreading like wildfire, and when Sharaz and Wasir heard about them they were furious and both vowed to insult each other’s beards in the town square. Word was sent round and soon a large crowd had gathered for the noon showdown. Both merchants arrived wrapped in their best shawls, hair slicked back with Maasi Mai’s hair oil. Soon they were in full flow, hurling insults at each other’s beards, cursing even the relatives of their respective beards from 4 generations back. In all the hubub, nobody noticed Shlomo the Gypsy Thief, sneaking between the pair of them and tying both beards in a knot. Skilfully, he removed both of their bags of gold and crept away from the crowd. A small girl saw him skulking away and called out. Yasir and Sharaz, suddenly realising what had happened, shouted and tried to run after him, but with their beards tied together, they kept getting in a tangle and falling down.
Anyway, Shlomo the Gypsy got away, used the money to buy some shawls, and became the biggest shawl trader in Mugsville. Sharaz and Wasir’s customers all eventually ended up with Shlomo, because those two were still arguing about their respective beard defects, and besides, they’d lost most of their money to Shlomo in the Big Beard Battle (as it came to be known).
To this day, it is rumoured that the ancestors of Sharaz and Wasir are still arguing over beards, but Shlomo’s ancestors are doing fine running a vast business empire dealing in Shawls and beard accessories. his best customers are Ancestors of Sharaz and Wasir.
~Moral of the story~ : Don’t carry cash; carry a credit card instead.
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