Once the Caliph Harun al Rashid was riding past the cemetery with a procession of courtiers when he saw Bahlool riding a horse of reed and playing with some children. The Caliph suspected that Bahlool was wise and only feigned madness, so he stopped, and called to hm.

“Bahlool,” said Harun, “admonish me.”

Bahlool replied, “With what shall I admonish you?” He gestured to the cemetery. “These are their palaces, and these are their graves.”

Al-Rashid said: “More! You have spoken well.” Bahlool said: “Whoever God gives wealth and beauty, and he is chaste in his beauty and generous with his wealth, is written in the register of the righteous. But suppose you owned the entire earth and all people submitted to you — so what? Won’t you end up in a grave while your inheritance goes to this one and that?”

And with that Bahlool rode his reed horse away, while Harun wept.