Bahai Story Library
Back to canonical version

Compare versions: One day when the Master was out on a carriage ride near

The same event, told by different sources. The canonical version below is what we publish; the alternate accounts are preserved for scholarly comparison and for noticing where retellings differ.

Canonical version

One day when the Master was out on a carriage ride near

Secondary RetellingVarious · bahaistories.com archive

One day when the Master was out on a carriage ride near Thonon-les-Bains on Lake Geneva in France, the party stopped for simple refreshments at an old inn nestled between two mountains. Sitting on an open porch, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was soon spotted by children, who were selling bunches of violets and seemed to have eyes only for Him. They clustered around Him. Spontaneously He dug into His pocket and came out with some francs to satisfy His small salesfolk.

Source: Honnold, Annamarie, Vignettes from the Life of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, p. 100

Collected from bahaistories.com (Subject: love).

Read the original

Alternate account · 93% similar

One day when the Master was out on a carriage ride near

Various · bahaistories.com archive

One day when the Master was out on a carriage ride near Thonon-les-Bains on Lake Geneva in France, the party stopped for simple refreshments at an old inn nestled between two mountains. Sitting on an open porch, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was soon spotted by children, who were selling bunches of violets and seemed to have eyes only for Him. They clustered around Him. Spontaneously He dug into His pocket and came out with some francs to satisfy His small salesfolk.

Source: Honnold, Annamarie, Vignettes from the Life of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, p. 100

Collected from bahaistories.com (Subject: generosity).

Read the original

Why are alternate accounts kept? Different retellings of the same event often vary in emphasis, detail, and tone. Scholars and devotional readers can notice these differences and trace the trustworthiness of each retelling.