Habits Reveal Lineage

An unfamiliar man once appeared in the court of a king seeking employment. When asked about his skills, he replied, “I am a strategist” (in Arabic, a person who resolves matters with intelligence and wisdom is called a strategist). The king already had plenty of strategists, so the stranger was appointed in charge of the royal stable for special horses.

A few days later, the king inquired about his most expensive and beloved horse. The young man replied, “It is not purebred.” The king was astonished and summoned the stable master for confirmation. The stable master explained that the horse was purebred, but its mother had died at birth. Consequently, it had been raised on cow’s milk and in the company of cows.

The king called the young man again and asked how he had deduced that the horse was not purebred. The young man said, “When it grazes, it lowers its head like cows do, whereas a purebred horse lifts its head while taking grass into its mouth.” The king was so impressed by his insight that he sent gifts of grains, ghee, roasted chickpeas, and the finest bird meat to his home as a reward. The young man was also appointed to serve in the queen's palace.

A few days later, the king asked for his opinion about the queen. The young man said, “Her manners are queenly, but she is not a princess by birth.” The king was shocked and summoned his mother-in-law, revealing the matter to her. She admitted, “The truth is that when your father proposed to marry my daughter at her birth, our daughter passed away at just six months old. To maintain this alliance with your royal family, we raised another child as our own daughter.”

The king summoned the young man again and asked how he had discovered this. He replied, “Her treatment of servants is worse than that of commoners. A person of noble lineage behaves differently, with a distinct manner and courtesy, which is absent in her.” Again, the king admired his cleverness, rewarded him with grains and livestock, and appointed him to the royal court.

Sometime later, the king called the young man and asked for his opinion about himself. The young man hesitated and said, “Your Majesty, I will speak only if you promise to spare my life.” The king gave his word, and the young man said, “Neither are you of royal lineage nor are your ways befitting of a king.”

The king was furious but restrained himself due to his promise. Angrily, he went straight to his mother’s quarters. She revealed the truth: “You are the son of a shepherd. We were childless, so we took you in and raised you.”

The king summoned the young man again and asked how he had uncovered the truth. He replied, “When kings bestow rewards, they give diamonds, pearls, and jewels. But you grant livestock and food supplies—traits not of royalty but of a shepherd’s son.”

Moral of the Story: No matter how much wealth, power, knowledge, or influence a person possesses, these are all external and superficial. A person’s true essence is reflected in their behavior and intentions. If someone, despite being economically, physically, socially, or politically strong, harbors greed for petty gains, disregards justice and truth, betrays those who trust and help them, or is willing to cause great harm to others for selfish benefits, it is evident that there is a deep flaw in their character. What appears golden may often be just a gilded coating over brass, not pure gold.