Ali, the Wise

Ali, the Wise

     I was nearing the end of my 3,000 mile journey from Boston (Mass) to my home near Birmingham (UK). I had woken at 4 in the morning to be ready for my taxi at 4:40. It was now 10 pm (BST) and I had been on the go for 13 hours; taxi, plane, coach, train, and now this last 10 minute taxi run to my village. 

    I was trundling a 17 kg suitcase and carrying  a 5 kg rucksack. The next available taxi on the Station rank was driven by an elderly Kashmiri gentlemen (**), who welcomed me with a wave. But his car was parked on top of a large puddle. As I was still wearing sandals, I smiled at the driver and suggested that he drive forward a few yards so that I could get my suitcase into the boot of his car without getting my feet wet. Which he did readily enough, admitting  that such a suggestion showed wisdom (I supposed as an apology for not having thought of it himself).

      He got out, and together we struggled with my large suitcase. As we climbed into the car, the driver started to quiz me about my wisdom, my job, and where I was travelling from,  Once we were (somewhat shakily) under way, he returned to the topic of wisdom, telling me that 'Ali' was wise.
    "Ali, the prophet?" I asked, surprised at the comparison. 
    "Ali, the prophet's cousin and son-in-law," I was promptly corrected.
    " Of course, of course", I hastened to admit my gaff; "he who married Fatimah and became the first Caliph of Islam".
    "Fourth Caliph, first Imam", I was again corrected. But my driver realised that I had much to learn. 

    "There were two women who both gave birth at the same time," he told me, "one to a girl, the other to a boy. But both mothers claimed the boy. Ali was appealed to. He asked both mothers to give him a sample of their milk. He examined both samples and pronounced one richer than the other. That mother shall rear to boy, said Ali. And thus he showed his wisdom. " 
    " Hmm," I mused. "I never would have thought of that." 

    Then we got on to his battles, where he also distinguished himself, particularly in the first and third battles, cutting, it seems, the legs of the enemy's horses.  That was something else that would not have occurred to me. I am sure that my driver would happily have told me more, but we had arrived at my house. I thanked him and asked him to keep the change.

(** The taxi-rank by the station is manned exclusively by Kashmiri gentlemen. )