"The General Administration of Al-Zeer Affairs"... This is how Munis summarized the corruption story

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The King passed by a village and found its people drinking directly from the canal.

The Chief Minister ordered the purchase of a "zir" (water container) and its placement on the bank.

Since it constitutes public funds and a government trust, a guard is required to protect it.

Six guards and an equal number of water carriers were appointed to guard and fill the zir.

Technicians must be appointed to maintain the handle, lid, and ladle.

A legal and accounting department is needed to disburse salaries and resolve disputes.

An administrative department for staff affairs should be established, with attendance and departure registers kept.

The King decided to visit and inspect the zir, only to find it empty and broken.

Father: "If I die tomorrow, my son will squander this wealth in days."

"My son, God does not forget anyone in providing sustenance, but I wanted you to be a lion."

I came across an intriguing short story by the late Egyptian writer Dr. Hussein Mounes, published in 1971 in the Egyptian newspaper "Al-Ahram." Symbolically addressing corruption, the story is titled "The General Administration of the Zir" and is written in colloquial Arabic.

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It stated: "There was a king who was touring his kingdom. He passed by a village and found its people drinking directly from the canal. He said to his entourage: 'Stay and see what they need, even if it is just a zir for them to drink from.'

The Chief Minister immediately ordered the purchase of a zir and its placement on the canal bank so that people could drink from it.

Once the zir arrived, an official appeared and said: 'But with this, the zir becomes public property and a government trust; a guard must be assigned to protect it.'

His supervisor told him: 'Guarding is not the guard's job; the zir must be filled by a water carrier every day.'

Of course, it was realized that it was unreasonable for one guard or one water carrier to work throughout the week. Therefore, six guards and six water carriers were appointed to work in shifts to guard and fill the zir.

Here, another official appeared and said to them: 'This zir needs a handle, a lid, and a ladle; therefore, technicians must be appointed to maintain the handle, lid, and ladle.'

At this point, an expert, in-depth official interjected: 'Well, who will prepare the payroll for all these people? An accounting department is necessary, and accountants must be appointed to disburse salaries.'

A senior official told them: 'In that case, someone must supervise them and oversee all the workers. Therefore, a department for staff affairs was established, and attendance and departure registers were put in place for employees and workers.'

Another official added: 'Well, if any violations occur or disputes arise among the workers, who will resolve them? We must establish a legal affairs department to investigate violators and settle disputes between conflicting parties.'

When the matter reached the Chief of Staff, he said: 'And who will head all these employees? We must second a senior official, as the administration has become large?'

After a year passed, the King happened to pass through the same area again. He found a luxurious building with a large sign reading: "General Administration of Zir Affairs."

Inside the building, he found rooms, conference halls, and many offices. He also saw a dignified man sitting at a large desk with a sign in front of him: "Mr. General Manager of Zir Affairs."

The King inquired about the reason for this new building and the strange administration he was hearing about for the first time?

The Royal Entourage told him: "Your Majesty, all of this is to care for the zir that you ordered last year."

The King was very pleased and decided to go and see how the zir was doing. He found it empty and broken, with a guard and a water carrier sleeping and snoring beside it.

The King also found a sign next to them reading: "Donations for repairing the zir, with regards from the General Administration of Zir Affairs."

This story explains itself in most Arab countries.

The Father and the Prodigal Son... A Lion and a Fox

The second story, meanwhile, comes from Iraqi folklore and speaks of squandering. A merchant in Baghdad had a single, pampered son who spent his father's money freely. Since the father had not worked hard to accumulate his wealth, it was easy for his son to squander it.

However, what concerned the father most was his thought: "If I die tomorrow, my son will squander this wealth in days. I spent my life accumulating it, and it will be lost thereafter." Thus, he consulted a wise friend regarding his son.

Al-Hakeem said, “You are to blame, for you spoiled him too much and never let him earn his livelihood with his own hands. Therefore, make him the leader of a trading caravan.”

The father liked the idea, called his son, and said, “Tomorrow, you will be the caravan’s leader.” The son replied, “Father, but I do not know how to trade.”

The father responded, “It doesn’t matter whether you sell or buy, profit or lose. You have advisors if you wish. The important thing is that you earn your livelihood with your own hands.”

After his father’s persistent urging, the son agreed, and the caravan set out. In the evening, they pitched their tents. Early the next morning, the son woke up and looked out into the desert. He witnessed a majestic scene: a lion had hunted a rabbit, carried it in its mouth to a cave, placed the rabbit inside, turned its back, and walked away. In just a few minutes, a blind fox emerged from the cave, caught the scent, found the rabbit, picked it up in its mouth, and entered the cave to eat it.

The young man thought to himself, “What a foolish father! If God has not forgotten this blind fox in providing for its sustenance, will He forget me, who can see? Let us return; we do not want to trade.”

When the son returned to his father, the father asked, “What brought you back?” The son recounted the story and then said, “Father, if God has not forgotten this blind fox in providing for its sustenance, will He forget me, who can see?”

The father laughed, and this became the most profound lesson his son ever heard in his life. When his father said, “My son, God does not forget anyone in providing for their sustenance. But I wanted you to be a lion that gives, not a fox that takes.”