Editing Hassan (section)

===Crazy Hassan and the Lack of Camels===

Amen, I say to you, I saw Crazy Hassan once. When I was a younger man, so many years ago he came to our village walking at the head of his camels. He set about to his works and raised his storefront just outside the village center and began to sell his wares.

For every camel he sold, he would give another as thanks to the customer. This caused quite a stir among the people and soon the entire town gathered around him, hoping for such a good deal. As it went, he handed off his last camel, but he looked dismayed to see me standing alone and camel-less.

He called out to me, "My good friend! A thousand apologies! If you would but give me six days to return to the city and back, I shall return with a camel for you, at great discount!"

I graciously bowed to him, "Good sir, I am but a poor man, I can neither afford nor desire a camel. I would never be able to care for it with what little money I have, I come instead with questions if you could offer me answers?"

He seemed confused for a moment, before bidding me to go on.

"Why did you walk, rather than ride a camel across the desert?" I asked

"To do so would use the camel more, and cheat my customers! I would never hurt their deal!"

"Why do you give so many away, when they could have as easily been sold?"

"Because I am crazy! Ha, ha! Just still, I would never deny my customers a good deal!"

"Why would you walk the a six day journey to the nearest city and return to sell just one camel to one poor man?"

"Because you are my customer. It matters not if you have bought from me, everyone is Crazy Hassan's customer!"

I bowed to him and thanked him for humoring my questions, I wished him luck on his future journeys and said I would pray for his continued happiness before I left him, the first and last time I would ever see him.


Three days later, I awoke to a great sound outside my small home. I walked out the front door and looked upon more camels than I had ever seen, all in a great pen with a note on the gate post. It read:

"To my good friend,

For all the money I could ever make selling camels, I would trade for your kindness again. For though Crazy Hassan has crazy prices, he knows the true value of things. I humbly offer these camels to you as thanks.

Hassan"

And that, my young grandchildren, is how I became the owner of the largest camel herd in all the desert. I have lived my life doing to others as I thought Hassan would like, treating others as a favored customer always. Never forget this man, I beg you, for he was a man like no other.