DEAD BIRDS COME ALIVE
There were three Arabs in
the service of the Thakore of Rajkot. They demanded an increase in wages by four rupees a month. The Thakore refused. So they resigned and started for Junagadh.
On their way they hunted a few birds, and put them in the
bag they carried on their shoulders. They were passing through
Virpur in the evening when Jalaram Bapa saw them. He said,
"Please have, your meals here and then go." The
Arabs said, "We are Muslims!" Bapa said, "There's
no distinction of caste or creed in the court of God. You
are welcome here!" Led by Bapa, the Arabs came to his
place. Now they remembered that they had the dead birds with
them and here was a Hindu temple. What to do?
As soon as the meals were finished
they tried to go away silently, but Bapa said, "You must have been tired! Have a night halt here!" The Arabs felt most embattassed. Bapa then touched their bag
with his staff and said, "Ah, The poor birds feel suffocated.
Open the bag and make them free."
The Arabs saw that the bag
hanging on a peg had the live birds in it. They opened the bag and the birds flew away to the tree nearby. The Arabs were amazed. They fell at the feet of Bapa and asked,
"Bapa, shall we get a job in Junagadh?" Bapa said,
"Why, the Arabs serve only one master." The Arabs
said, "But the Thakore of Rajkot is not willing to pay
us adequately." Bapa said, "He will. You asked for
four rupees more, but he will give you seven."
It really happened so. Just
at that time, a camel-man, sent by the Thakore of Rajkot arrived there and took the Arabs back with honour. the Thakore had sanctioned an increase of seven
rupees in their salary.
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