Suddenly a stranger came into the room, and, without a word,
threw himself down at 'Abdu'l-Baha's feet. 'Abdu'l-Baha knew who he was,
though. He introduced the man to the others as "one of My old
friends," and embraced him.
Now, where do you suppose He had met the man? Wouldn't you
think that this person must have been very good to 'Abdu'l-Baha to be greeted
so warmly? Well, here is the story behind the story:
Years before this night, when 'Abdu'l-Baha was a prisoner
along with many others--some of them children—this man was one of the soldiers
who guarded the prison gate.
Now, in order to get water the prisoners had to walk two
miles to a well. There they filled their jugs and carried them back to the
prison. This soldier waited until the prisoners came back into the prison yard
with their heavy jugs. Then he struck at the jugs with his gun and broke them!
(Adapted from a story told by Mr. Faizi, Hand of the Cause;
Child’s Way magazine, March-April. 1972)
