The Nubian Slave

We go back many, many years, to the days when King Mohammed al-Rashid ruled all Persia. He was, by the grace of Allah, a King of Kings. The people flocked from miles around merely to catch a glimpse of his face, and the kings and nobles of the Arabian countries gladly paid homage to the great ruler.

But wherever King Mohammed al-Rashid was to be seen, there immediately behind the monarch, would be his immense Nubian slave. Black as ebony, and a head taller than any other man, this Nubian slave would stand at the side of the king’s throne, like a statue carved in black marble. Seldom known to speak and never known to smile.

One day, a visiting Wazir asked the king, “Your Nubian slave is like your shadow, ever at your side. Have you complete trust in his loyalty?”

“I will tell you a story,” replied the king with a smile. “Several years ago, I was traveling through the country, when one of the camels stumbled and a jewelry box became dislodged and burst open on the ground. A number of pearls and other stones were scattered over the sand. So, knowing the greediness of my fellow man, I told my retinue they could keep any of the gems they found in the sand.”

“In a twinkling of the eye,” the king went on, “everyone was groping in the sand, like a pack of jackals. All, with the exception of my Nubian slave, who stood immobile by my side. I asked him why he didn’t try to find a pearl like the others.”

“Master,” he replied, “The only pearl I have ever sought is my master’s trust in me. That and that alone is all I shall ever want.”

“O, King,” said the Wazir, eyeing the Nubian slave, “Then you too have found a treasure.”