The Soldier and the Dervish
Once upon a time, at the edge of an old forest where cool waters flowed, a weary soldier and a dervish met. The soldier, who had fought for years, was returning to his homeland with a sharp sword at his waist and a heavy load on his shoulder. The dervish beside him, however, walked with peaceful steps, having only his cloak and the wooden staff in his hand. All along the road the soldier boasted of the power of his sword, while the dervish smiled and kept his silence. When the twilight of evening fell, the two travellers sat down beneath a mighty plane tree to rest. Mysterious cracklings coming from the depths of the forest suddenly cut the silence of the night like a knife. Suddenly three dangerous bandits with clubs in their hands leapt out from among the bushes and blocked their way.
The soldier at once seized his sword and shouted angrily, "Do not come closer, or I will make you all regret it!" When the bandits saw the fierce manner of the soldier, they laughed even louder and drew their weapons. At that very moment the dervish rose calmly to his feet and stepped forward with a humble smile. "Welcome, friends, you have come just in time to share our bread," said the dervish in a soft voice. Faced with this unexpected warm welcome, the bandits hesitated for a moment and looked at one another in astonishment. The dervish took his fresh bread out of his bag and offered it to the bandits with respect. In his astonishment, the soldier had to slide the sharp sword in his hand slowly back into its sheath.
Sweet words and the warm bread they shared melted the hard anger in the hearts of the bandits in an instant. The men laid their weapons on the ground, knelt beside the dervish and respectfully asked for forgiveness. All night long they talked by the fire, and with the first lights of morning they quietly went away from there. The proud soldier had seen with his own eyes how sweet words untied the knot that brute force could not undo. He turned to the dervish, bowed in shame, and from that day on he carried his sword only for true justice. True strength lies not in the sharpness of the sword, but in the gentleness of the heart and in sweet words. A sweet tongue draws even the snake out of its hole.