I remember reading an Arabian comic story of Aboo Kasim and his shoes. Aboo Kasim was a miser, who didn’t want to spend money for a second pair of shoes. So, he constantly mended his shoes on his own by striking nails and stitching wherever required. As time passed, the leather-bound shoes turned to a skeleton with nails sticking outside from all sides. People could easily recognize Aboo Kasim’s shoes, whether it is in Mosque, or in courts and they made fun of him too. When the ridicules turned unbearable, Aboo Kasim decided to give up his shoes and buy a new one.
He bought a new pair of shoes and gave up the old one in front of the mosque and came back relieved. But remember, any kid in Baghdad recognized Aboo Kasim’s shoes. They saw his shoes lying abandoned, and brought it back to him.
Fed up, he threw his old shoes out of his house and sat relieved. No, not yet.. his bonding with the old shoes was not to be ended so fast. A stray dog bit it, and the nails on the shoes struck in its mouth. With the unbearable pain, the dog jumped onto the roof of Aboo Kasim’s neighbour’s house and dropped the shoes. The shoes fell on the head of an old woman, and she had to be hospitalized. People didn’t have to search much for the culprit. Any kid in Baghdad would identify Aboo Kasim’s shoes. The judge summoned him to the court, and decided on a penalty, ie, bear the hospital expense of the injured.
Fed up again, Aboo Kasim walked out with his shoes. After walking a lot, he reached the river side. “Ah, I am going to get rid of this forever”, Kasim sighed and threw the shoes to the river. The night’s sleep was peaceful. Next day, Aboo Kasim woke up with the angry noises outside his house. He opened the door. “Oh no, not again..”.. The shoes was right in front of him, with all the nails sticking out, as if to bite him. He loked up at the gathered crowd. The angry men shouted at him, “your shoes were caught in our fishing net today early morning, and all our nets are torn with the nails. We need compensation..!!”
Another trip to the court, and the compensation.. Aboo Kasim had paid much more than what he would ever pay for his footwear in his lifetime. Before the court dispersed, Aboo Kasim turned back and walked to the judge and said, “I have a request.. Please declare that this shoes no longer belongs to Aboo Kasim, please.. “. The judge smiled and did the same.
Moral of the story: If you don’t mend your shoes in time, it may turn hazardous.
The story’s origin, I think, is Baghdad. Now, another pair of shoes has created news there. An Iraqi journalist threw a pair of shoes at George W Bush, during a press conference.
Guess George Bush is now paying the price for the nails which he used to mend his shoes in Baghdad since 2003 ….
A journalist hurls shoes at Bush
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