An old Persian joke Long ago, there lived a poor peasant in the Persian Empire. The man had, some years before, lost his luck. His wife died, his meager wealth ebbed further away, and the poor peasant was on the verge of starvation. Realizing his life was growing grim, he decided that he would find his luck out there in the world and take it back. Packing what little belongings he had, the man set out on a quest to find his missing luck. As he walked through a large, open plain, he stumbled upon a lion, which was moaning on the ground. The peasant approached and said, ""what troubles you?"" The lion coughed and responded, ""I am gravely ill, and it seems there is no cure. I seem to have no luck."" The peasant smiled and said, ""Well, as it so happens, I am on a quest to find my own luck. I am poor and widowed, and I need to get my life back on track."" The lion looked at the man for a moment, snorted, and said, ""Well, tell you what. You find that luck of yours and ask it how I can be treated. Then we'll both be lucky."" The man agreed to the lion's sickly request and continued on. Later, he approached a large tree, where a weeping farmer sat below it. The peasant approached him and asked, ""what troubles you?"" The farmer tearfully responded, ""Why, I'm just about broke. My wife and kids are starving and I have no money to provide for them. It seems my luck's run out."" The peasant told him of his own missing luck. The farmer gave a small smile and said, ""Well, if you find your luck, could you ask it how we could get our own luck back and get wealthy again?"" The peasant agreed and carried on. His next stop was at a small village, where the town guards quickly brought him before the village chief. The chief looked the peasant up and down before saying, ""What brings you to my village?"" The peasant told the chief of his quest. The chief responded, ""Well, I seem to be out of luck myself. I have no son to rule the village after me. This whole town could fall to disarray! If you find your luck, you ask it what to do about my succession, alright?"" The peasant agreed, and carried on. At long last the peasant found a small hut. At once, he knew this must be where his luck was. Walking in, he yelled, ""Luck! Are you here?"" Like magic, his luck appeared before him! ""Finally,"" his luck said. ""I've been waiting ages for you! How have you been holding up?"" The peasant told him of his current struggles and that of his journey. ""Well my good friend, I can assure you that your luck has returned. As for the chief, tell him that he needs only to marry his daughter off to a man, and their child will be a son certainly fit to rule the village. For the farmer, simply tell him that the very tree he cries beneath houses an ancient treasure, certain to feed his family for many years. And for the lion, all treatments have failed for a simple reason: he needs the dumbest person alive to treat him."" The peasant began his return quest home, luck in hand. He first stopped at the village and told the chief of the solution. ""Excellent!"" the Chief exclaimed. ""My luck has returned after all! You can marry my daughter, and the village will be saved!"" The peasant laughed. ""In this dunghole? When my luck just returned? Absolutely not! Good luck to you!"" and the peasant continued on his way. He then found the crying farmer and told him of the treasure beneath him. ""By Zoroaster! We're saved! Our luck has returned after all! Please, stay with us and share in the treasure! We'll never starve again!"" The peasant laughed. ""My luck has returned, old man. I have no need for such meager treasure when bounties of gold await me!"" The peasant continued on his way home. He stopped by the dying lion in the grass. ""Well, did you find your luck?"" the lion inquired. ""Oh, that I did!"" said the peasant. ""I saved a poor farmer by giving him a small treasure, and aided a village chief by telling him to marry off his lovely daughter. Both wanted me to stay, but with the luck I have now? I have no need for such lowly individuals."" The lion frowned. ""I see. And...did you ask your luck of my plight?"" The peasant beamed. ""Indeed! All you need to do is be treated by the dumbest man alive!"" The lion chuckled. ""Well, they say the best treatment is a good meal. I guess my luck has returned after all!"" And the lion swallowed the peasant whole.