The Guests Nobody Thanked

*A retelling for children, based on **Mahmúd's Diary** (entry of 16 October 1912).*

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It was time for 'Abdu'l-Bahá to leave the great house in California where He had been staying. It was a grand mansion, full of rich and important guests, and they all expected Him to come and say a polite goodbye to *them*.

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But 'Abdu'l-Bahá asked to see different people first.

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He asked for the servants — all of them. The cooks who had made the meals. The maids who had cleaned the rooms. The butler who answered the door. These were the people who worked hard all day long, behind the scenes, and whom hardly anybody ever noticed or thanked.

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They came and stood before Him, probably wondering what He could want. And 'Abdu'l-Bahá thanked each of them, warmly and personally, for their hard work — and gave every single one a gift of money, pressing it into their hands as if they were the most honored guests in the whole house.

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The rich visitors watched, amazed. They had never seen anything like it.

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To 'Abdu'l-Bahá, a cook and a king were exactly the same in one way that matters most: both are children of God, and both deserve to be treated with kindness and respect. The people the world forgets are never forgotten by God — and we can show real greatness by being kind to *everyone*, especially those nobody else thinks to thank.

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*This is a retelling for children. For the fuller account, see ["Honoring the Servants"](/stories/md-honoring-the-servants).*

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