The poet, Sadi, met with a merchant who had 150 camels and 40 servants. One night while on the island of Kish, the merchant took Sadi to his room and talked the whole night in a very pompous fashion.

The merchant said, "I have such a correspondent in Turkistan, and such an agency in Hindustan; and this paper is the title-deed of such a piece of ground, and for such a thing I have such a person for security."

Then he continued to say, "I intend to go to Alexandria, as the climate is agreeable. No, actually, the western sea is boisterous! Oh Sadi! I have one more journey before me! When that is accomplished I will retire for the rest of my life and give up trading."

Sadi replied, "What journey is that?"

To which the merchant said, "I will take Persian sulphur to China, because I have heard that it brings an exceptional price there, and then I will take China-ware to Greece, and Grecian brocade to India, and Indian steel to Aleppo, and mirrors of Aleppo to Yaman, and striped cloth of Yaman to Persia, and after that I will give up trading and sit at home in my shop."

The merchant continued to ramble on for some time, until he had almost no energy left to speak. He then said, "Oh Sadi! Now you tell me something about what you have seen and heard."

Sadi replied, "You have not left me a single subject to talk about!"

Hast thou not heard what once a merchant cried,
As in the desert from his beast he sank?
"The worldling's greedy eye is satisfied,
Or by contentment or the grave-yard dank."

Note: 'worldling' is a person devoted to worldly interests or pleasures. The story above was narrated by Sadi, a Persian poet, in "Sadi: The Rose Garden."

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