Few Tales of Watayo Faqeer

Sense of humor has an important place in every culture and society. Humorists have always been regarded with high attributes, we find many examples like Akbar and Beerbal, Santa and Banta, Mullah Naseerudin, when we come to Sindh, we find one such name and that is of Watayo Faqeer or Watayo the dervish.

 It is wildly believed by Sindhi historians that Watayo lived for 75 years and is burried at Tando Allahyar.

 Here are few selected tales of Watayo Faqeer:

(1) Distribution according to God or Man: It is said that once there was a fest in the native village of Watayo, the elders decided to ask Watayo to take charge of meal and distribute among the guests, so one of the elders came to Watayo and said: "O! Watayo we have decided that you are going to distribute the meal among guests."

Watayo thought for a while and then asked the elder: "Should I distribute it the way God does or by the ways of men?" This question puzzled the eleder and he answered: "Of course the way God does."
Watayo smiled and said: "OK."  When the time of meal began, Watayo started distributing the meal, some got half plate, some got quarter plate, while others got way too much.

The elders seeing this were disappointed and questioned the dervish: "O! Watayo what have you done this?" To this Watayo replied with a smile: "This is how God distributes means, to some he gives little, while to others he gives way too much."

 (2) Let my Clothes Eat: Once Watayo travelled to a distant village, hunger and thrist overtook him, while he was also feeling fatigued, nearby he saw a wedding ceremony and went inside the hall.
Since he was in rages he was immediately thrown out of the party.

Watayo being an intelligent man knew why he was thrown out, so he took his new suit, wore it and again went to the ceremony.

 This time he was warmly welcomed by the hosts. When the dinner was served, he started putting the meal on his clothes. One of the hosts came to him in agitated state of mind and asked: "O! Dervish what are you doing?" Upon this Watayo smiled and replied: "Let my clothes eat, because this honor and respect is given to them and not to the person in them."

(3) Finally they would come here: Once there was a robbery in the village and the villagers started chasing the robbers crying: "Catch the robbers....Catch the robbers....." Watayo, who was sitting by the roadside watched the entire scene carefully, then he stood up and rushed to the graveyard, he sat on a grave and started to wait.

By the sunset some villagers passed the graveyard, seeing Watayo sitting on a grave, one of them asked: "O! Watayo what are you doing here?" He said: "Earlier there was a robbery in our village, I am waiting for the robbers, finally they would come here."