Sultan Mahmood and his army were out riding together, however, the sultan like to ride by himself and had ridden on ahead of them when he noticed, a little way off, an old woodcutter walking beside his donkey laden with thorny firewood.
As he watched, the poor old donkey stumbled and fell, and as it did its thorny load fell from its back, landed on top of the old woodcutter's head and scratched him.
When Sultan Mahmood saw what had happened he rode up to the old woodcutter, who was rubbing his sore head, and offered his help.
"Can I help you; are you in need of a friend?" asked the Sultan, "You are indeed chivalrous, " replied the old woodcutter who did not recognize him, "if you help me, I will without doubt benefit and you will not be harmed. You look as if you are a blessed person and it is well known that when someone meets a blessed person, goodness comes from such a meeting."
The kind-hearted sultan dismounted and helped the donkey to get up then loaded the thorny firewood onto its back, after which he rode off to join his army.
When he rejoined his army he told them: "An old woodcutter will be coming this way very soon, block his way so that he will have to pass by my tent."
Sure enough, a little while later the old woodcutter came upon the sultan's army and thought to himself: "I cannot pass through all these soldiers with my poor old donkey," so he took another footpath. Not long after the woodcutter saw the Sultan's tent and was somewhat alarmed but what could he do? there was no other path for him to take.
The woodcutter approached the Sultan's tent with caution, when, to his surprise he realized that the man that had helped him was none other than Sultan Mahmood himself. As the woodcutter came nearer, Sultan Mahmood called to him asking: "My poor friend, what do you do for a living?"
The woodcutter thought to himself:
"This is strange," but replied: "You already know, honestly, don't you recognize me? I am a woodcutter; I gather thorny firewood every day and sell it but my poor old donkey is weak, and is dying from hunger. If you would like to help me, please give me some bread."
The Sultan took pity upon the old man and asked: "How much do you ask for your load of firewood?"
The woodcutter told the Sultan he would give him the firewood but would not sell it to him but the Sultan declined.
Then the woodcutter said: "As you do not wish to take the load as a gift and I do not want to sell it, then give me a purse of gold."
The soldiers gasped at the woodcutter's request and said: "Watch what you are saying, old man.
Your firewood is not worth even a handful of barley -- it is worthless!" The old woodcutter turned to the soldiers and replied: "That may be the case, but its value has changed.
When a blessed man such as the Sultan touches a bundle of thorns they become roses. If he wishes to buy them then he must pay at least a dinar for each because he has increased their value a hundred times by touching them."