The Ḥadiqat al-ḥaqiqa is not only one of the first of a long line of Persian didactical maṯnawis, it is also one of the most popular works of its kind as the great number of copies made throughout the centuries attest.
The story was translated to English in 1924 by Charles Edward Wilson.
An evil nature acts consistently: have you not heard that Nature does not err? The number of countries competing in the contest was a record at that moment, being the first time when 44 countries confirmed their participation in the contest.