My Grandfather was very old when he told me this story. He had a long white beard (sakal / لحية ). His beard was very beautiful. The story he told me lives in my heart as if he told it to me this morning. My grandfather was a very wise (bilge / حكمة ) man. Everyone said so. He lived in a small land called Ingushetia. In the mountains you can see the towers (kuleler / برج) my ancestors (atalar / أسلاف) used to protect (korumak / لتحمي) our land. Sadly, our history has been a story of fighting (savaş / قتال) for our small, beautiful land.
In one thing my grandfather was different from other men. It was not his wisdom (bilgelik / حكمة). There were other wise men. It was not his bravery (cesaret / شجاعة). There were other brave men. What made my grandfather different was that he stayed on the side of truth (hakikat / حقيقة ). This reputation (itibar / سمعة) he wore (giymek / ليرتدي ) like a warm, well-made coat.
One day my grandfather heard his son arguing (tartışmak / يتجادل) with a foreign (yabancı / أجنبي ) neighbor who was building a new fence (çit / سور). My grandfather did not understand the foreigner's language. So my grandfather went to his son and said, “Why are you shouting (bağırma / يصرخ) at our neighbor?” His son said that the foreigner moved his fence 1/2 meter into my grandfather’s land.
Then my grandfather said something very quietly (sessizce / بهدوء). He said it so quietly that his son and the neighbor had to stop shouting to hear what he said.
My grandfather said to his son, “Tell our neighbor: Do not move your fence one-half (1/2) meter onto my land. Move it one whole meter onto my land!”
And do you know what the neighbor did? He moved his fence one whole meter onto his own land so that my grandfather had more land! When my grandfather told me this story, I knew he wanted me to remember (hatırlamak /للتذكر ) it always. I understood that the example (misal / مثال ) he gave his son was much more important than a half meter of land.
And now you know it too.
In one thing my grandfather was different from other men. It was not his wisdom (bilgelik / حكمة). There were other wise men. It was not his bravery (cesaret / شجاعة). There were other brave men. What made my grandfather different was that he stayed on the side of truth (hakikat / حقيقة ). This reputation (itibar / سمعة) he wore (giymek / ليرتدي ) like a warm, well-made coat.
One day my grandfather heard his son arguing (tartışmak / يتجادل) with a foreign (yabancı / أجنبي ) neighbor who was building a new fence (çit / سور). My grandfather did not understand the foreigner's language. So my grandfather went to his son and said, “Why are you shouting (bağırma / يصرخ) at our neighbor?” His son said that the foreigner moved his fence 1/2 meter into my grandfather’s land.
Then my grandfather said something very quietly (sessizce / بهدوء). He said it so quietly that his son and the neighbor had to stop shouting to hear what he said.
My grandfather said to his son, “Tell our neighbor: Do not move your fence one-half (1/2) meter onto my land. Move it one whole meter onto my land!”
And do you know what the neighbor did? He moved his fence one whole meter onto his own land so that my grandfather had more land! When my grandfather told me this story, I knew he wanted me to remember (hatırlamak /للتذكر ) it always. I understood that the example (misal / مثال ) he gave his son was much more important than a half meter of land.
And now you know it too.