This allegory in Attar's Mosibat Nameh tells the story of the preacher Khwajah Akkafi, whose eloquent sermons moved his listeners to ecstasy. However, when a passing man calls out for a cobbler, Akkafi experiences a spiritual realization. He concludes that lofty, esoteric discourse is unsuitable for ordinary, worldly listeners (referred to as donkeys and donkey-drivers) and is meant only for spiritually active seekers ('living birds').