ﻛﺎﻥ ﺍﻟﻤﻠﻚ ﻭﻭﺯﻳﺮﻩ ﻳﺬﻫﺒﺎﻥ ﻟﻠﺼﻴﺪ ﻛﻞ ﻳﻮﻡ ﻭﻓﻲ ﻳﻮﻡ ﻣﻦ ﺍﻷﻳﺎﻡ ﻗﻄﻊ ﺍﻟﻤﻠﻚ ﺃﺻﺒﻌﻪ ﻋﻨﺪﻣﺎ ﻛﺎﻥ ﻳﺮﻳﺪ ﺃﻥ ﻳﺤﺎﻭﻝ ﺃﻥ ﻳﺼﻄﺎﺩ ﺃﺭﻧﺒﺎً ﻓﻀﺤﻚ ﺍﻟﻮﺯﻳﺮ ﻭﻗﺎﻝ: ﻋﺴﻰ ﺃﻥ ﻳﻜﻮﻥ ﺧﻴﺮ ﻓﻐﻀﺐ ﺍﻟﻤﻠﻚ ﻣﻨﻪ ﻭﻋﻨﺪ ﻋﻮﺩﺗﻬﻤﺎ ﻟﻠﻘﺼﺮ ...................ﺃﻣﺮ ﺍﻟﻤﻠﻚ ﺑﺤﺒﺲ ﺍﻟﻮﺯﻳﺮ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﺴﺠﻦ ﻓﻠﻢ ﻳﺒﺎﻟﻲ ﺍﻟﻮﺯﻳﺮ ﻭﻗﺎﻝ:ﻋﺴﻰ ﺃﻥ ﻳﻜﻮﻥ ﺧﻴﺮ ﻭﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﻴﻮﻡ ﺍﻟﺘﺎﻟﻲ ﺫﻫﺐ ﺍﻟﻤﻠﻚ ﻟﻮﺣﺪﻩ ﻭﻓﻲ ﻃﺮﻳﻘﻪ.....ﻭﺟﺪ ﻛﻬﻔﺎً ﻓﺪﺧﻠﻪ ﻓﻜﺎﻥ ﻓﻴﻪ ﻧﺎﺱ ﻳﺘﻌﺒﺪﻭﻥ ﺍﻟﻨﺎﺭ ﻭﻛﺎﻥ ﻫﺆﻻﺀ ﺍﻟﻨﺎﺱ ﻓﻲ ﻛﻞ ﻳﻮﻡ ﻣﻦ ﺍﻟﺴﻨﺔ ﻳﻘﻮﻣﻮﻥ ﺑﺤﺮﻕ ﺷﺨﺺ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﻨﺎﺭ ﻟﻴﺘﻘﺮﺑﻮﺍ ﻣﻦ ﺃﻟﻬﺘﻬﻢ ﻭﻛﺎﻥ ﻫﺬﺍ ﻫﻮ ﻣﻮﻋﺪ ﺍﻟﻴﻮﻡ ﺍﻟﺬﻱ ﺳﻮﻑ ﻳﻘﺪﻣﻮﻥ ﻫﺪﻳﺔ ﻷﻟﻬﺘﻬﻢ ﻭﻋﻨﺪ ﺩﺧﻮﻝ ﺍﻟﻤﻠﻚ ﻗﺎﻡ ﻋﺒﻴﺪ ﺍﻟﻨﺎﺭ ﺑﺈﻟﻘﺎﺀ ﺍﻟﻘﺒﺾ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻟﻴﺤﺮﻗﻮﻩ ﻭﻟﻜﻦ ﻋﻨﺪﻣﺎ ﻭﺟﺪﻭﺍ ﺃﻥ ﺃﺻﺒﻌﻪ ﻣﻘﻄﻮﻉ ﺃﺧﻠﻮ ﺳﺒﻴﻠﻪ ﻷﻧﻪ ﻻ ﻳﺼﻠﺢ ﺃﻥ ﻳﻜﻮﻥ ﻫﺪﻳﺔ ﻷﻟﻬﺘﻬﻢ ﻓﻴﺠﺐ ﺃﻥ ﻳﻜﻮﻥ ﺳﻠﻴﻢ...............................
ﻋﺎﺩ ﺍﻟﻤﻠﻚ ﺇﻟﻰ ﺍﻟﻘﺼﺮ ﻭﺫﻫﺐ ﺇﻟﻰ ﻭﺯﻳﺮﻩ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﺴﺠﻦ ﻭ ﺭﻭﻯ ﻟﻪ ﻣﺎ ﺣﺪﺙ ﻣﻌﻪ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﻜﻬﻒ ﻭﻗﺎﻝ ﻟﻪ: ﻟﻘﺪ ﺃﺻﺒﺖ ﻋﻨﺪﻣﺎ ﻗﻠﺖ ﻋﺴﻰ ﺧﻴﺮ ﻋﻨﺪﻣﺎ ﻗﻄﻌﺖ ﺃﺻﺒﻌﻲ .....ﻭﻋﻨﺪﻣﺎ ﺳﺠﻨﺘﻚ ﻷﻧﻚ ﻟﻮ ﻛﻨﺖ ﻣﻌﻲ ﻛﺎﻧﻮﺍ ﻗﺪ ﻗﺎﻣﻮﺍ ﺑﺤﺮﻗﻚ ﺑﺪﻻً ﻣﻨﻲ ﻷﻧﻚ ﺳﻠﻴﻢ ...............ﺛﻢ ﺃﺧﻠﻰ ﺳﺒﻴﻠﻪ