Discourses of Rumi

346 V DISCOURSES OF RUMIsee him and enjoy the spectacle. But one drunkenfellow wouldn’t move from his apartment. Byforce, they carried him up to the roof, saying,“Come and look at the Sultan’s horse!” He said,“I am busy with my own affairs. I don’t want tosee it.” But he could not escape. So he sat there onthe edge of the roof, extremely drunk, as theSultan passed by.When the drunken fellow saw the Sultan onthe horse he cried out, “What do I care about thishorse? Why, this very moment if that horse weremine and a minstrel sang even one song, I wouldgive it to him.” Hearing this, the Sultan becameextremely angry and had the man thrown intoprison. A week passed. Then the man sent a messageto the Sultan, saying, “What is my crime?What sin did I commit? Let the King of the Worldstate the case so his servant can be informed.”The Sultan ordered the man to be brought intohis presence. He said, “You insolent rogue, howcould you utter such words? How dare you speakso rudely?” The man answered, “King of theWorld, it was not I who spoke those words. Inthat moment a drunken manikin was sitting on