THERE’S THIS WELL-KNOWN story of a bald man who, caught in a thunderstorm, huddles under a wood-apple tree for cover. The tree is of middling height with slender branches but is laden with fruit. It sways ominously in the wind. Some minutes into the storm, a powerful gust brings a few wood-apples crashing down. The coconut-sized fruits, which have hard exteriors, bounce off the man’s bald pate, badly hurting him. He realizes he’s been stupid in standing under the tree, but that doesn’t stop him from repeating his mistake. The next time the skies open up, he takes shelter under the wood-apple tree again.
All of us make mistakes, some more than others. Many learn from their mistakes and take care not to repeat them. Some, like the bald man, repeat their mistakes in spite of themselves. Some don’t learn at all. The good news is that no matter which category we belong to, there’s one skill we can acquire – learning from other people’s mistakes.
Successful men of our times, like Alibaba founder Jack Ma or American investor Warren Buffett, as well as noted wellness professionals have highlighted this skill. So has the 13th-century Sufi mystic Rumi, whose parables and tales have illumined, delighted and informed the reader down the ages. In an animal fable titled The Lion, the Wolf, and the Fox, one of the 105 stories in The Book of Rumi (translated from Persian by Maryam Mafi), the Sufi master imparts this timeless lesson that is relevant for all.
Off on a hunt
In the fable, a lion teams up with a wolf and a fox for a hunt in the mountains. As king of the jungle, the lion is pompous and egotistic but condescends to accompany the lowly wolf and fox. After all, in keeping with his royal stature, he must be magnanimous, shouldn’t he?
The trio troop up the forested mountains and succeed in killing a huge bull, a mountain goat and a fat rabbit. Occasionally helped by the lion, the wolf and the fox drag the kill down to the plains. But by the time they are done, they are very hungry. Both begin to wonder how the lion will divide the spoils, and whether they will get their fair share.
Sharing the spoils
The lion, though full of himself, senses what his teammates are wondering. Fuming that they were trying to read his royal mind when their very existence depended on him, he springs a surprise.
Addressing the wolf, he says: “Why don’t you divide the game on my behalf? Take care to be absolutely fair in your division. I want to see how you do it.”
Without batting an eyelid, the wolf replies: “The bull goes to you since it is the largest catch. The mountain goat comes to me because it suits my size. The rabbit is enough for the fox.”
The goof-up
The lion is furious. “How dare you think of yourself in my presence? Thinking that you can exist in the company of a majestic king is blasphemy. Come here at once,” he roars.
The minute the terrified wolf moves forward, the lion swats it with its monstrous paw, ripping off the head. “There’s no room for low-born animals that have an ego in my kingdom,” he declares.
The lion then turns to the fox, who is aghast and very frightened after what he has just seen. “It’s your turn to split the kill. Hurry up, I’m hungry,” he tells the fox.
Foxy player
Trembling, the fox bows before the lion. “Your Lordship, the fat bull will make a tasty breakfast for you,” he says nervously. “The mountain goat will be perfect for your lunch and the rabbit will suffice for your dinner.”
The lion is taken aback. “Great job, fox. Where did you learn how to divide the game?”
“Here and now, Your Lordship. After seeing the mangled body of the wolf,” replies the fox.
Live and learn
“You’re smart,” says the lion. “You love me so much that you see yourself as a part of me. You no longer exist, you see only me. That’s why I will give you the entire kill. Not just that, even I’m yours. I will never hurt you. One who learns a lesson by watching his friend’s mistakes is indeed the wisest one.”
The fox blinks in disbelief. Silently, he thanks the heavens that his turn to divide the spoils didn’t come first.
Bottomline
Learn from other people’s mistakes. Life is too short to make them all yourself – Sam Levenson
Some of us learn from other people’s mistakes but the rest of us have to be other people – Zig Ziglar