In Farid al-Din Attar's Mosibat Nameh, the tale of the beautiful child beating the old man serves as an allegory for the rigorous demands of true love and spiritual seeking. The old man is punished because he claimed to love the youth but then rested for three days without actively seeking him. The king's approval of this punishment underscores the Sufi principle that a true lover, or spiritual seeker, must remain in a state of constant, restless pursuit of the Divine Beloved. Complacency or resting invalidates the claim of true spiritual devotion.