Powerless to do either, he went to prison, for a bird escaped is ne’er recaught. Long there did he remain, invoking help from none, nor complaining, though he slept not at nights through restlessness.
A pious man came to him and said: “I did not think that thou wert dishonest; why art thou here imprisoned?”
“No villainy have I committed,” he replied. “I saw a helpless man in bonds and his freedom only in my own confinement. I did not deem it right that I should live in comfort while another was fettered by the legs.”
Eventually he died, leaving a good name behind.
Happy is he whose name dies not! He who sleeps beneath the earth with a heart that lives is better than he who lives with a soul that is dead, for the former remains for ever.
Story of a Man and a Thirsty Dog
In a desert a man found a dog that was dying from thirst. Using his hat as a bucket, he fetched water from a well and gave it to the helpless animal. The prophet of the time stated that God had forgiven the man his sins because of his kindly act.
Reflect, if thou be a tyrant, and make a profession of benevolence.
He who shows kindness to a dog will not do less towards the good among his fellows.
Be generous to the extent of thy power. If thou hast not dug a well in the desert, at least place a lamp in a shrine.[13]