The Tongue

The quotation we are memorizing in the Farsi [children's] class is regarding the tongue, how it was created for the remembrance of God, and not to defile it with unseemly speech. Today the instructor told this story in Farsi, translating for my benefit:

The shah sent his minister to search the world and bring him the best object he could find. The minister returned with a sheep's tongue. Puzzled, the shah sent the minister to find the worst object and bring it back. Again, he returned with a sheep's tongue. The minister explained that if used to praise and encourage people, the tongue is the most wonderful thing. If it is used to criticize and discourage them, it is the worst.

Story number two:

The shah dreamed that all of his teeth fell out except one. He asked for a soothsayer to interpret his dream, and the soothsayer said: "The dream means that all of the members of your family will die before you do." Grieved and angry, the shah had the soothsayer executed. Then he sent for another interpreter, who gave the same explanation: "All the members of your family will die before you do." Again, that person lost his head. Finally the shah sent for a man to interpret his dream, who said: "You will live longer than any other member of your family." He was rewarded with gold and gifts of land, praised and sent on his way.