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Parable of the Day: A Friendship Ruined by Pride



There were two friends who lived in an Arabic country. They would meet at a fireplace every evening and talk sitting on small three-legged chairs. In the meantime, one of them became a sheikh. He moved to a marble palace and acquired a high throne made of mother-of-pearl. Many people came to honor the new ruler.

His old friend came to him, too. He was eager to congratulate the new sheikh but the proud sheikh did not want to receive him immediately and made him stand by the door of the palace for many days. Finally, the sheikh ordered his servants to let his friend come in. The friend entered the palace humbly. The sheikh sat at the throne with his limbs stretched out. His friend understood what it meant, and so he started looking around as if he was looking for the sheikh. The sheikh was furious. He asked his old friend what he was looking for.

— I’m looking for you, o human being, where are you? — the friend replied and added sorrowfully, — While you were sitting on a small chair, one did not see the chair because of the human who sat in it, and now, you see, one can’t find the human because of the throne.

By St. Nikolai of Serbia
Translated by The Catalog of Good Deeds

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