It happened once upon a time that a certain man was deeply confused about a complicated problem in his domestic life, and longed to find a wise person to whom he could open his heart and seek advice. When one day in a tea shop he mentioned this to a local, the man said, “In our city there is only one man who is wise – but he disguises himself, and pretends to be mad. If you look for him, you may find him playing amongst the children, riding a stick like a horse.”

The man searched, and at last did indeed find Bahlool in the midst of a riotous group of youngsters, his legs astride a stick as if it were a spirited horse. Then the man approached Bahlool, and said simply, “I am in need of counsel. Advise me.”

Bahlool looked at the man for a moment, and then said, “Ask only what will benefit you, and leave the rest. If it serves no purpose, do not inquire.”

The man then unfolded to Bahlool the complicated problem he was facing. Bahlool listened silently, and when the man had finished, responded with a few short sentences that cut through the matter like a knife. The man immediately understood what to do, and felt relief and hope mingle in his heart.

Bahlool was returning to his play with the children when the man stopped him. “Wait,” he said, “please tell me – why do you play with the children and pretend to be mad when you are clearly very wise?”

Bahlool smiled and replied, “Our agreement was that you should ask only what will benefit you, but since you insist, I will tell you. Once I was offered the position of a judge – but I refused. I thought it is better to play as a madman than to bear the burden of judging fools.”