In the days when Bahlool was wandering the earth, there were always different opinions as to whether he was the madman he appeared to be, or if perhaps – just perhaps – he was a wise man who was only pretending to be a lunatic.

One day a businessman found Bahlool sitting, lost in thought, in a cemetery, and approached him, saying, “Great and respected saint Bahlool, may I disturb your meditations to ask a question? By the grace of God I have a small sum of money to invest. Through your wisdom, please tell me what I should buy in order to make a profit.”

Bahlool roused himself from his reveries for a moment and said, “Iron and carrots.”

The businessman went straight to the market, bought all the iron and carrots he could find, and within a week had sold it all again at a huge profit. Suddenly he was a wealthy man.

Rejoicing, he went to the cemetery again, where he found Bahlool lying in an open grave. “Bahlool, you crazy madman,” the businessman said jovially, “your advice made me a fortune! Now I’m ready to invest again, so please tell me, what should I buy?”

“Garlic and watermelon,” said Bahlool.

The businessman went again to the market, and emptied his pockets to buy up every single watermelon and all the garlic in the city. But to his horror, the price of both collapsed, and he lost everything.

Devastated, he went to the cemetery and said, “Bahlool, how could you give me such bad advice? The first time I became rich, but this time because of you I have lost my entire fortune! What happened?”

“The first time you called me a wise man,” said Bahlool. “The second time you called me a madman, so this is the advice of the mad.”