The Riddle of the Hollow Reed by Charlotte Jordan Harman Story by Charlotte Harman Illustrations by Taurus Burns
Bellwood Press Evanston, Illinois
Bellwood Press, 1233 Central Avenue, Evanston IL 60204-0605 Copyright © 2012 National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States All rights reserved. Published 2012 Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper ∞ 15 14 13 12 4 3 2 1 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Harman, Charlotte. The riddle of the hollow reed / story by Charlotte Harman ; illustrations by Taurus Burns. p. cm. ISBN 978-0-87743-716-1 (alk. paper) I. Burns, Taurus, ill. II. Title. PZ7.H226683Rid 2012 [E]—dc23 2012021248 [1. Grandmothers—Fiction. 2. Terminally ill—Fiction. 3. Family life— Design by Patrick J. Falso
“Oh, God, make me a hollow reed, from which the pith of self hath been blown so that I may become as a clear channel through which Thy Love may flow to others.”
—George Townshend
Many years ago, in a land of great beauty, a traveling dervish, or holy man, wandered near a city by the sea. He had only the clothes on his back, a cloth sack with some dried fruit, his walking stick, and a flute made from a hollow reed.
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Just outside the city gate, there was a beautiful garden where roses bloomed and nightingales sang. The old man, tired from his travels, decided to rest in this garden of paradise. Sitting on a bench beneath an ancient olive tree, he took out his flute and began to play. As he did so, people passing by gathered around to hear the wonderful music and listen to his words of wisdom. They experienced an overwhelming sense of peace and began to smile. Children became quiet, and even the dogs stopped yapping. Every day the old man would play his flute, and every day more people came to listen. He told them that God created them because He loved them, and if they emptied themselves of everything else, His love would fill their hearts.
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As the days passed, news of the old dervish and his wonderful flute spread throughout the city, all the way to the palace, where the King and Queen lived. The King was very handsome, and he knew it. He enjoyed going out in public where he could strut like a peacock and have the townsfolk bow as he went by. He required them to adore him above all others. Therefore, when news regarding the adoration of the old dervish by the townspeople reached him, he became quite concerned and summoned the Sheriff to the palace. The King asked the Sheriff to watch the old man closely and to arrest him immediately if he broke any laws. The Sheriff saw this as a great opportunity to impress the King. Perhaps, if he were successful, the King would be so grateful as to bestow gifts upon him and make him a Knight. Bowing to his majesty, the Sheriff left to perform his assignment.
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The King demanded to know the meaning of it all. The Court Jester realized the trick was on him, but explained to his Majesty that the beggar had been a magician and had bewitched them with this magic flute. However, the King now had the flute and with it the power to regain the adoration of the townspeople. The King retrieved the flute and with great strutting reentered the palace hall with everyone following behind him. All were anxious to see what magic would happen when the King played the old man’s flute. Standing before his adoring subjects with the Queen, Princess, and trusted aides at his side, the King raised the flute for all to see. The crowd cheered, and then there was silence. The King placed the flute to his mouth, sucked in a deep breath and blew. To everyone’s dismay a horrible noise, like that of a rhinoceros with a toothache, blasted from the flute and with it a ribbon, on which the word VANITY was written. This infuriated his Majesty, and he ordered the guards to find the old man and have him put in jail for playing such an evil trick on the King. Then, with a mighty HARRUMPH, he straightened his crown and left the palace hall without the flute.
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