Story Summary
In The Tale of the Blind Baba Abdalla, a camel driver's insatiable greed for hidden treasure leads to his permanent blindness and a life of humble penance.
Baba Abdalla, a camel driver traveling to Baghdad, encountered a dervish who possessed the secret to a hidden treasure. Using magical incense, the dervish opened a mountain to reveal vast piles of gold and jewels. They loaded eighty camels with the riches, but greed soon took hold of Abdalla. After the dervish gave him a small box of magical ointment, Abdalla begged for its secret. The dervish warned him: rubbed on the left eye, it reveals all the treasures of the earth; rubbed on the right eye, it causes instant blindness. Abdalla used it on his left eye and saw unimaginable wealth, but his avarice convinced him the dervish was hiding an even greater secret. Ignoring all warnings, he insisted the dervish apply it to his right eye. Instantly, the world went dark. Abandoned by the dervish and his camels, the now-blind Abdalla spent his life as a beggar in Baghdad, requiring every person who gave him alms to strike him on the face as penance for his insatiable greed.
The Moral
Greed blinds us to the blessings we already possess and can lead to our total ruin.
“My greed was such that I was not content with what I had, and thus I lost the light of my eyes.”
Fun Fact
This story is part of the 'Orphan Tales' added to the Arabian Nights by French translator Antoine Galland, who heard them from a Syrian storyteller named Hanna Diyab.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the moral of The Tale of the Blind Baba Abdalla?
The story teaches that greed can blind a person to reality and destroy their life. It emphasizes that being ungrateful for what one has often leads to losing everything.
Why did Baba Abdalla go blind?
He ignored the dervish's warning and insisted on applying a magical ointment to his right eye. While the left eye showed him treasure, the right eye caused permanent blindness as a consequence of his greed.
Who is the dervish in the story?
The dervish is a mystical figure who possesses magical powers and knowledge of hidden treasures. He acts as both a benefactor and a cautionary figure who tests Abdalla's character.
What was the penance of Baba Abdalla?
As a beggar in Baghdad, he demanded that anyone who gave him alms must also strike him on the face. This self-imposed punishment was meant to atone for his past greed and ingratitude.
Where does The Tale of the Blind Baba Abdalla take place?
The story begins in the deserts of the Middle East and concludes in the city of Baghdad under the reign of Caliph Harun al-Rashid.
How does the Caliph discover Abdalla's story?
Caliph Harun al-Rashid encounters Abdalla while wandering the city in disguise. He becomes curious about why the beggar insists on being slapped before receiving money and calls him to the palace.
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