The classical Persian poet Rumi is actually one of the best-selling poets in America. Rumi's beautiful stories and passionate mysticism have earned him a wide following among believers of many faiths. Many of his poems are based on traditional folktales, which he then interprets in spiritual terms. If you want to learn something about Islam, I recommend this unit to you very highly. Very often people try to read the Koran, but they find it off-putting and difficult to understand (just as a book like Leviticus might be baffling to someone not already familiar with Judaism or Christianity). Rumi's poetry, on the other hand, is very accessible, while still being permeated with Islamic belief and tradition.

Here are some quotes:

Listen to this, and hear the mystery inside: a snakecatcher went into the mountains to find a snake. He wanted a friendly pet, and one that would amaze audiences, but he was looking for a reptile, something that has no knowledge of friendship. It was winter. In the deep snow he saw a frighteningly huge dead snake. He was afraid to touch it, but he did. In fact he dragged the thing into Baghdad, hoping people would pay to see it...

For the man who saved the bear from the dragon's mouth, the bear became a sort of pet. When he would lie down to rest, the bear would stand guard. A certain friend passed by, "Brother how did this bear get connected to you?" ...

You're a wild Ocean-Duck that has been raised with chickens! Your true mother lived on the Ocean, but your nurse was a domestic land-bird. Your deepest soul-instincts are toward the Ocean. Whatever land-moves you have you learned from your nurse, the hen. It's time now to join the ducks! Your nurse will warn you about saltwater, but don't listen! The Ocean's your home, not that stinking henhouse.

For those of you are interested in some good old-fashioned adventure stories, you might want to read the The Seven Voyages of Sinbad which is a selection from The Arabian Nights. The stories of Sindbad are based on Persian, Indian, Arabic and Greek folktale traditions - you will even get to see Sindbad fight and defeat a one-eyed cyclops, just like the Greek hero Odysseus. Sindbad and Odysseus actually have a great deal in common: Sindbad is constantly getting shipwrecked, but always managing to come out on top because of his quick-thinking and fearlessness. Each time he comes back home to Baghdad laden with treasures and riches, but he always decides to set sail again, trying his luck just one more time.

Suddenly it fell dark, something like a huge black cloud came swiftly over me, and I saw with amazement that it was a bird of extraordinary size which was hovering near. Then I remembered that I had often heard the sailors speak of a wonderful bird called a roc, and it occurred to me that the white object which had so puzzled me must be its egg...

There appeared a vast multitude of hideous savages, not more than two feet high and covered with reddish fur. Throwing themselves into the waves they surrounded our vessel. Chattering meanwhile in a language we could not understand, and clutching at ropes and gangways, they swarmed up the ship's side with such speed and agility that they almost seemed to fly...

When night came I fell asleep, but only to be awakened once more by the terrible snake, which after hissing horribly round the tree at last reared itself up against it, and finding my sleeping comrade who was perched just below me, it swallowed him also, and crawled away leaving me half dead with terror. When the sun rose I crept down from the tree with hardly a hope of escaping the dreadful fate which had over-taken my comrades...