The king and the gardener
One day, king Noshirvan was passing a road next to his palace, and visited a garden along the road, where he saw an old weakling and tired man planting a walnut tree. The King was surprised. Stepped forward and smiled.
Good day, what are you doing man? The king asked.
Your majesty, I’m planting a walnut tree. The gardener said.
You are an old man. It would take ten years for a walnut plant to grow and get strong enough to fruit. Do you really think that you will live that long to use the fruit of this walnut tree? The king said.
Your majesty, I’m not planting this for myself. I am doing this for posterity. Others have planted for us and we need to plant for the others. The gardener said.
The king honored the gardener’s wise answer, and granted him the garden.
It has been said that the old man lived a long age and even gave the king a gift with the fruit of the same tree.
This story is taken from
Marzban Nameh is a well-known Persian storybook, written at about 1000 years ago by Marzban son of Rostam son of Shervin, who was an Iranian prince from Tabarestan (now known as Mazandaran).
Translated by Morteza Tabatabaee
January 2004