The good friend:
(A popular Jewish Iraqi tale)
Once upon a time in Iraq there were two friends. They played together since childhood and were inseparable.
The years passed and their paths separated.
One launched businesses that prospered, thus he became a rich and successful businessman.
The other, in turn, suffered one misfortune after another and ended up in poverty.
His wife, seeing him worried by day and insomniac by night, said to him: Your friend is a wealthy businessman. Why don’t you ask him to help you? With his help your situation will surely improve and then you could repay the loan.
At first he didn’t want to listen to her but later, when the situation got even worse, he finally decided to turn to his friend.
He arrived in front of the door to the palace and asked permission to pass. The guard entered and said to his master: “There is a poor man who says he is your friend and asks to see you".
The rich man looked out of the window, saw his childhood friend standing in front of the door, poor and broken down and gave orders to send him on his way without another word.
The poor man returned home sadder than before. A few days later a young girl, wearing a diamond ring on her finger, arrived at his house.
"Please, sir,” she said to the poor man, “buy my ring.”
At first he didn’t want to buy the ring because he could not pay its price and he didn’t want the girl to leave treated unfairly.
She begged him to pay her what he could because she was in desperate need. For this reason the poor man agreed and acquired the ring, paying what he could.
The next morning another girl arrived with another valuable jewel in her hands.
"Buy it, sir, please," pleaded the young girl. The poor man also bought this jewel for a few coins.
On the third day a young man came and sold him a coat embroidered with threads of gold.
The poor man sold the jewels and with the money he obtained he bought fabric. He sold the fabric and with the earnings he bought other fabrics. His business started to flourish and he grew rich. He decided to go visit his childhood friend once again. He wanted to see how he would receive him now.
This time the rich man received
him quite kindly.
The friend then told him angrily: “When I came poor and broken down you didn’t want to see me and now you receive me with so much joy! How do you explain this?
Without saying a word, the rich man opened the door and two girls and a young man entered.
Immediately, the friend recognized them and understood that his friend, the rich man, had sent them to sell him the expensive jewels for a few coins.
He regretted having gotten annoyed and appreciated the help offered in such a subtle manner.
The rich man said: “It is better to give anonymously and in an indirect way, than to humiliate he who is in need of help.”
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