Discourses of Rumi

FIHI MA FIHI V 75People have carved the figures of men, womenand birds of stone along the banks of pools on thehighways and in the caravansaries, and throughthe mouths of those statues water pours into thepool. Anyone with any sense knows that thiswater does not begin in the mouth of a stone bird,it comes from some other source.If you want to get to know people, engagethem in speech. By their words you will knowthem. If they are imposters, even if someone toldthem that people can be recognized by theirwords and they watch their words carefully toavoid being caught, still, in the end you will cometo understand who they are.This is illustrated by the story of the child andher mother. A child in the desert said to her mother,“On dark nights a horrible demon appears tome, and I am terribly afraid.”“Don’t be afraid,” said her mother. “The nexttime you see that form, attack it bravely. Thenyou see clearly that it is nothing but a fantasy.”“But mother,” said the child, “what if the horribledemon’s mother has given him similaradvice? What shall I do if she has taught him, saying,‘Don’t give in, so she will think you are real