Many people know Rumi and his famous work Masnavi. But only a few of them know Farid ud-Din Attar and his masterpiece "The Conference of the Birds" Before Rumi started to write Masnavi, he used this book as a textbook and taught his teachings by giving examples from it. And he was definitely influenced from it while he was writing Masnavi. "The Conference Of the Birds" is a book of poems which tells the journey of thousands of birds to find their king Simurg. But journey was very long and very difficult. And only thirty birds finished it and reached the palace of Simurg. And at the end when they saw Simurg, it was only themselves, what they saw. The whole palace was a mirror. And Simurg was nothing else but them. Simurg also means 30 birds in Farsi language. Rumi also told shortly this journey of birds in his Masnavi. I recommend you to read "The Conference of The Birds" if you liked Masnavi.

 I have read that book, and love it. However I think you did a vast over simplification in your synopsis.