Two brothers lived in one house. They were small, raised together until they grew up, each married. They separated, each living in a house with his wife and children. The older was extremely rich, and the younger extremely poor. The rich brother lived on a small island surrounded on all sides by sea water, so he made the trade of salt his trade. He sold salt for years until he collected a large amount of money. But despite that, he was extremely stingy.
While the older brother was hoarding gold and silver, the younger brother suffered from hunger and poverty. He didn’t find food to satisfy his wife and children. One day, his wife didn’t find any food in the house for them to eat. She asked him to go to his brother and ask for help. He didn’t want to borrow some money from him and return it at a later time.
Because the younger knew the extent of his brother’s stinginess, he refused this, but under his wife’s pleading and the children’s hunger, he went to his stingy brother. When he entered, he found him sitting in his house with a table in front of him with all his money on it, and he was counting it with extreme slowness. When he saw his poor brother, he was offended and treated him with great harshness. He didn’t stand to welcome him or ask about his condition. He just faced him with a question to know the reason for his visit?
The poor brother said with a broken, frustrated spirit, “I’m sorry, my brother, but I came to you to ask for help. My house has no food. My children and wife are hungry. All I ask from you is just one dirham to buy food and return it to you when I have the means.” But the stingy brother refused to help his brother and accused him of laziness. He said there was no good but that the younger tried a lot and God hadn’t provided for him yet.
All the pleadings of need couldn’t influence the heart of the older brother. He refused to help his brother, threw him one loaf of bread, and asked him not to come to his house again. The poor brother was sad at his brother’s bad treatment and was forced to take the loaf and leave lest his family die of hunger. While he was returning on the way, he met an elderly woman who stopped him and said to him, “I’ve been hungry for two days and haven’t eaten anything. Give me food.”
The younger brother said, “My wife and children have been hungry for a while, and I only have one loaf of bread. But I can’t see you hungry like this and leave. So I’ll divide the bread between you and me.” The old woman ate half the loaf, thanking God gratefully. Afterward she said to the poor brother, “I’ll guide you to something that will make you rich, for you are kind-hearted, noble in character, and deserve to be rich to help the poor.”
“There in that nearby house there are small hens. Knock on the door, and after asking permission, they’ll ask you to sell what you have of bread. Don’t sell it to them for any money, but ask for the old mill in exchange.” Indeed, the poor brother entered the house of the small hens. After they greeted him, they asked him to sell what he had of bread for any price. He refused the gold and silver and asked for the mill as the man had guided him.
But the hens refused at first. As they were about to leave, the large hen said, “We are in need of the mill. It’s parked behind the door. You are a kind-hearted man. You can take it, but don’t give it to anyone who will misuse it so they don’t harm it and complain about it.” When the man left the house, the old woman taught him how to use it. No sooner had he reached his house than he told his wife about the magical mill.
Each of them tried using it, and it brought out everything they wished of food, drink, clothes, and fuel for heating. The spouses rejoiced greatly at this treasure God had sent them. After the younger brother became extremely rich like his brother, but unlike him, he helped the poor and needy and didn’t refuse a beggar who came to his door. So God increased his wealth.
The rich brother was amazed when he learned of the blessing that had descended on his brother and decided to know the secret behind that. He sent one of his servants to spy on his brother. He kept watching the house for days until night came. He looked from behind the window and found the family gathered around a mill bringing out the best food and drink. He ran to his master quickly and informed him of what he found.
The stingy brother decided to take the mill for himself. He went to his brother’s house and informed him that he knew the secret of the mill and wanted to buy it for any price. But the noble brother refused his brother’s request, for he knew his intentions weren’t good and he might harm himself by using that magical mill. The stingy brother left, determined to steal the mill.
The next day, he took his boat and sailed at night to his brother’s house. He stole the mill and returned with it heading to his house. Because he was extremely greedy, he couldn’t wait until he reached his house and used the mill. He wanted a lot of salt to increase his trade and multiply his money. Indeed, the mill began producing salt while he was on the boat.
The amount of salt began to increase by a large rate and weighted the boat. It started tilting into the sea. The stingy brother felt fear and panic. He began throwing the extra salt, but without avail, for the mill produced double what he threw. In a few moments and the salt drowned the boat with the mill and the man. He died in the depths of the sea, and the mill remained at the bottom until this day, producing salt. They say this is the reason for making sea water salty and not sweet. Is this correct?