In Book 3 of Rumi's Masnavi, the mothers of the schoolboys visit the master to verify their children's claim that he is ill. Instead of exposing the boys' deception, they find the master bedridden, sweating, and groaning under heavy blankets. The mothers, initially skeptical, unwittingly validate the children's ruse by expressing their sympathy and concern for his health. The master admits he was oblivious to his own "sickness" until the boys repeatedly brought it to his attention. This encounter illustrates the profound physical and social manifestation of the master's delusion, as the mothers' reaction further entrenches his belief in his non-existent illness.