'Abdu'l-Bahá's Gift to the Shepherds

*A retelling of an incident recorded in Annamarie Honnold, **Vignettes from the Life of 'Abdu'l-Bahá** (no. 40, "Sheep for the shepherds"). Words in quotation marks are as given there.*

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When 'Abdu'l-Bahá was a child in Persia, He was taken to the mountains to see the thousands of sheep that then belonged to His Father, Bahá'u'lláh. The shepherds, wishing to honour their young guest, gave a feast for Him.

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Before He was taken home at the close of the day, the head shepherd told Him that on such an occasion it was the custom to leave a present for the shepherds. He answered that He had nothing to give. The shepherd insisted that He must give something. So He gave them the sheep, all of them.

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When Bahá'u'lláh heard what had happened, He laughed and said, "We will have to protect 'Abdu'l-Bahá from Himself—some day He will give Himself away."

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Honnold tells the story to show that 'Abdu'l-Bahá's generosity "was natural to Him already in childhood."

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*This is a retelling. For the original, see Annamarie Honnold, **Vignettes from the Life of 'Abdu'l-Bahá**.*

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