LOAVES OF BREAD

One day two holy men came to visit Rabia' hoping to get some thing to eat; they were sure that whatever food she give them would be ritually pure since it was " obtained in a lawful manner."
After they had seated themselves, a cloth containing two loaves of bread was laid before them. Eagerly they reached for the food-
But before they could get it to their mouth, a hungry beggar appeared at the door. Rabia immediately gave him both loaves of bread.
This really bothered the two holy men, but they kept it to themselves.
Pretty soon a slave-girl arrived, caring a load of freshly-baked bread.
"My mistress sent this."
Rabia counted the loaves. "I don't think so," she said.
"There are only eighteen here."
Protest, denial- whatever the girl said, Rabia would not believe her.
(what's happened was that the slave-girl had taken two loaves for herself.)
So she went away and came back with the full twenty loaves. Rabia counted them again:
"That's more like it." So Rabia served the hungry holy men with twenty loaves instead of two. They were really baffled. "Two loaves, no loaves, twenty loaves- What does it all mean?" they asked.
"As soon as I saw you." said Rabia, "I could tell you were hungry. Two little loaves of bread- how could that be enough for two holy men? Then I remembered the promise: 'You give one; I give ten!' so I gave two to beggar-"
"But when only eighteen came back, I knew that there was either something is wrong with my prayers, or that somebody had sticky fingers."

REFERENCE: DOOR KEEPER OF THE HEART
VERSIONS OF RABIA BY CHARLES UPTON