Once there was a ferryman on the Nile who used to work in between eastern and western banks. One fine day he was approached by an old man who asked him if he could ferry him and give him some food for the Allah’s sake.
He agreed and started towards the eastern side, noticing the man was carrying a gourd-bottle and a staff. When they were about to land, the man asked him for another favour. He said the following noon he was going to die.
The ferryman would find him under a tree and wished him to wash him and wrap him in a blanket and bury him in the ground and take away his gown, gourd and staff and give it to one who came to ask for them.
The next afternoon, the ferryman did as he was requested and crossed the Nile to the western side and spent his night there.
Next day, a man came and asked him for the belongings. When asked how he knew about this, he replied that he had been asked to take the belongings of a saint from a ferryman and take his place. The man then donned his gown and went away.
