257th story

By; Ubeyd Zakani

Ubeyd was a 14th-century Persian language poet. He is regarded as one of the best satirists in Persian literature. His work has been compared to that of the 18th-century French Enlightenment writer Voltaire. According to the British Orientalist Edward Granville Browne, Ubeyd was the most remarkable parodist. He was a notable satirical writer produced by Persia. Ubeyd is considered the most illustrious Iranian satirist.

Ubeyd says:

There lived a powerful cat. Its tail looked like a leopard’s, and its paws were like a tiger’s. If this cat roared, it scared a lion, and every living thing would run away.

One day the cat went into a wine cellar.

A mouse got scared instead of running away, got confused and jumped into a wine barrel.

The mouse got drunk and said: “Where is that cat? I want to rip him and fill his inside with straws.”

The cat jumped on the mouse, mouse begged for his life and said: ” I was drunk, I lied.”

The cat said: ” Don’t ever lie.” And killed and ate the mouse.

The cat went to a place of worship, cried and asked for God’s forgiveness.

Another mouse saw the crying cat went to the other mice and said: ” The cat was sorry.”

Seven heads of the mice gathered some food and went to the cat to shake friendship hands with the cat.

The cat saw many mice forgot his sorriness jumped on the mice, killed and ate five of them.

The one live mouse went to the leader of the mice and asked for revenge.

The leader of the mice sent a messenger to the cat. The messenger delivered a message: “Stop the torture and killing. Otherwise, we will fight.”

The cat said: ” I have the power and will do as I wish.”

The mice got ready and went to fight with the cat.

The cat killed them and destroyed the mouse.

Ubeyd at the end says: ” My dear readers who will read this poem in the future. Think deeply of the meaning. Understand it is not about cat and mouse.”

We know it was about the king and the people.