Mulla Stories # 31 - Mullah is followed by horsemen

Walking one evening along a deserted road, Mullah Nasruddin saw a troop of horsemen rapidly approaching.

His imagination started to work; he saw himself captured or robbed or killed and frightened by this thought he bolted, climbed a wall into a graveyard, and lay down in an open grave to hide.

Puzzled at his bizarre behaviour, the horsemen - honest travelers - followed him.

They found him stretched out, tense, and shaking.

"What are you doing in that grave? We saw you run away. Can we help you? Why are you here in this place?"

"Just because you can ask a question does not mean that there is a straightforward answer to it," said Nasruddin, who now realized what had happened.

It all depends upon your viewpoint.

If you must know, however, I am here because of you - and you are here because of me!

:)

Mulla Stories # 30 - Mulla's girl friend

One afternoon, Nasruddin and his friend were sitting in a cafe, drinking tea, and talking about life and love.

"How come you never got married, Nasruddin?" asked his friend at one point.

"Well," said Nasruddin, "to tell you the truth, I spent my youth looking for the perfect woman."

In Cairo, I met a beautiful and intelligent woman, with eyes like dark olives, but she was unkind. Then in Baghdad, I met a woman who was a wonderful and generous soul, but we had no interests in common.

One woman after another would seem just right, but there would aways be something missing. Then one day, I met her. She was beautiful, intelligent, generous and kind.

We had everything in common. In fact she was perfect.

Well,said Nasruddin's friend, what happened? Why didn't you marry her?

Nasruddin sipped his tea reflectively.

Well, he replied, it's a sad thing. Seems she was looking for the perfect man.

Mulla Stories # 29 - Alexander the Great

Mullah Nasruddin went on a pilgrimage to Mecca, and on the way he passed through Medina.

As he was walking by the main mosque there, a rather confused looking tourist approached him. "Excuse me sir," said the tourist, "but you look like a native of these parts; can you tell me something about this mosque? It looks very old and important, but I've lost my guidebook."

Nasruddin, being too proud to admit that he, too, had no idea what it was, immediately began an enthusiastic explanation. "This is indeed a very old and special mosque." he declared, "It was built by Alexander the Great to commemorate his conquest of Arabia."

The tourist was suitably impressed, but presently a look of doubt crossed his face. "But how can that be?" he asked, "I'm sure that Alexander was a Greek or something, not a Muslim. . . Wasn't he?"

"I can see that you know something of these matters." replied Nasruddin with chagrin, "In fact, Alexander was so impressed at his good fortune in war that he converted to Islam in order to show his gratitude to God."

"Oh, wow." said the tourist, then paused. "Hey, but surely there was no such thing as Islam in Alexander's time?"

"An excellent point! It is truly gratifying to meet a visitor who understands our history so well," answered Nasruddin. "As a matter of fact, he was so overwhelmed by the generosity God had shown him that as soon as the fighting was over he began a new religion, and became the founder of Islam."

The tourist looked at the mosque with new respect, but before Nasruddin could quietly slip into the passing crowd, another problem occurred to him.

"But wasn't the founder of Islam named Mohammed? I mean, that's what I read in a book; at least I'm sure it wasn't Alexander."

"I can see that you are a scholar of some learning," said Nasruddin, "I was just getting to that. Alexander felt that he could properly dedicate himself to his new life as a prophet only by adopting a new identity. So, he gave up his old name and for the rest of his life called himself Mohammed."

"Really?" wondered the tourist, "That's amazing! But...but I thought that Alexander the Great lived a long time before Mohammed? Is that right?"

"Certainly not!" answered the Mullah, "You're thinking of a different Alexander the Great. I'm talking about the one named Mohammed."

Mulla Stories # 28 - Mulla hosts a dinner

On a frigid and snowy winter day Mullah Nasruddin was having a chat with some of his friends in the local coffee house. Mullah Nasruddin said that cold weather did not bother him, and in fact, he could stay, if necessary, all night without any heat.

- We'll take you up on that, Mullah Nasruddin . they said. If you stand all night in the village square without warming yourself by any external means, each of us will treat you to a sumptuous meal. But if you fail to do so, you will treat us all to dinner.

- All right it's a bet, Mullah Nasruddin said.

That very night, Mullah Nasruddin stood in the village square till morning despite the bitter cold. In the morning, he ran triumphantly to his friends and told them that they should be ready to fulfill their promise. But as a matter of fact you lost the bet, Mullah Nasruddin , said one of them.

At about midnight, just before I went to sleep, I saw a candle burning a window about three hundred yards away from where you were standing. That certainly means that you warmed yourself by it.

- That's ridiculous, Mullah Nasruddin argued. How can a candle behind a window warm a person three hundred yards away?

All his protestations were to no avail, and it was decided that Mullah Nasruddin had lost the bet.

Mullah Nasruddin accepted the verdict and invited all of them to a dinner that night at his home. They all arrived on time, laughing and joking, anticipating the delicious meal Mullah Nasruddin was going to serve them. But dinner was not ready.

Mullah Nasruddin told them that it would be ready in a short time, and left the room to prepare the meal. A long time passed, and still no dinner was served.

Finally, getting impatient and very hungry, they went into the kitchen to see if there was any food cooking at all. What they saw, they could not believe. Mullah Nasruddin was standing by a huge cauldron, suspended from the ceiling. There was a lighted candle under the cauldron.

- Be patient my friends, Mullah Nasruddin told them. Dinner will be ready soon. You see it is cooking.

- Are you out of your mind, Mullah Nasruddin? they shouted. How could you with such a tiny flame boil such a large pot?

- Your ignorance of such matters amuses me, Mullah Nasruddin said. If the flame of a candle behind a window three hundred yards away can warm a person, surely the same flame will boil this pot which is only three inches away.

Mulla Stories # 27 - What is Fate

A certain man asked Mullah Nasruddin ,

- What is the meaning of fate, Mullah Nasruddin ?

- Assumptions, Mullah Nasruddin replied.

- In what way? the man asked again.

Mullah Nasruddin looked at him and said,

- You assume things are going to go well, and they don't - that you call bad luck.

You assume things are going to go badly and they don't - that you call good luck.

You assume that certain things are going to happen or not happen - and you so lack intuition that you don't know what is going to happen.

You assume that the future is unknown. When you are caught out - you call that Fate.

Mulla Stories # 26 - Mullah saves the bird

One day two small boys decided to play a trick on Mullah Nasruddin.

With a tiny bird cupped in their hands they would ask him whether it was alive or dead.

If he said it was alive they would crush it to show show him he was wrong.

If he said it was dead they would let it fly away and still fool him.

When they found the wise old man they said,

- Mullah Nasruddin , that which we are holding, is it alive or dead?

Mullah Nasruddin thought for a moment and replied,

- Ah, my young friends, that is in your hands!

:)

Mulla Stories # 25 - End of the world

A group of philosophers traveled far and wide to find, and, contemplated for many years, the end of the world but could not state a time for its coming.

Finally they turned to Mullah Nasruddin and asked him:

- Do you know when the end of the world will be?- Of course, said Mullah Nasruddin , when I die, that will be the end of the world.- When you die? Are you sure?- It will be for me at least, said Mullah Nasruddin

:)

Mulla Stories # 24 - The frightening place

One day a visitor came to Mullah Nasruddin with a question.

- Mullah Nasruddin, the place that we humans come from and the place that we go to, what is it like?

- Oh, said Mullah Nasruddin, it is a very frightening place.

- Why do you say that? the visitor asked.

- Well, when we come from there as babies, we are crying, and when somebody has to go there, everybody cries.

Mulla Stories # 23 - Mullah and the crow

One day Mullah Nasruddin went to the market and bought a fine piece of meat.

On the way home he met a friend who gave him a special recipe for the meat.

Mullah Nasruddin was very happy.

But then, before he got home, a large crow stole the meat from Mullah Nasruddin's hands and flew off with it.

- You thief! Mullah Nasruddin angrily called after departing crow.

You have stolen my meat! But you won't enjoy it; I've got the recipe!

:)

Mulla Stories # 22 - Mulla and his beautiful daughter

Mullah Nasruddin had a beautiful daughter, the desire of all the evil eyes of the men lived in his village. Everyone sought the hand of the fair maiden, but Mullah Nasruddin protected her from the ouside world, saving her for the wealthy young khan who lived just outside the village.

At last the young Khan came to ask for the hand of the beautiful maiden. Mullah Nasruddin drove a hard bargain and was to receive the highest bride-price ever bargained for in the entir region.

With the usual Muslim regard for ceremony, Mullah Nasruddin insisted on a long waiting-period before the wedding vows could be taken. It seems that the young and beautiful daughter of Mullah Nasrudin had a mind and a body of her own. She fell in love with a young stalwart who lived near the well in the village, who constantly showered her with attention as she went to the nearby well to gather water in the morning and at dusk.

Her trips to get water began to take longer periods of time. Most people in the village know what was happening, but no one dared tell Mullah Nasruddin. The time for the wedding approached and the young, wealthy Khan came to collect his bride.

Mullah Nasruddin brought her to greet her bridegroom. Lo and behold! She was well pregnant by this time. The young, rich Khan was horrified, and turned on to Mullah Nasruddin, demanding to know why such a thing had occurred.

And when Mullah Nasruddin merely replied that such things are normal when people get married, the young, rich Khan stormed out of Mullah Nasruddin's compound, and said that he withdrew his offer of marriage to the young beautiful daughter of Mullah Nasruddin and therefore would expect a return on the down payment on the bride price.

Mullah Nasruddin, genuinely shocked, called after the young, rich Khan and the young Khan returned. "let us be sensible about this," pleaded Mullah Nasruddin. "Actually, I should double the bride price now that my daughter is truly pregnant and can give you a son."

The young Khan, even more horrified, stuttered and asked, "In the name of Allah, why?" Mullah Nasruddin calmly replied, "Why just last week I delivered a cow to a man to whom I had sold the cow several months before. In the interim period, the cow became pregnant, and when I delivered the cow, I demanded and received twice the original amount. Now what is so different between a cow and a daughter?"

:)

Mulla Stories # 21 - Mulla in the Banquet

Mullah Nasruddin heard that there was a banquet being held in the nearby town, and that everyone was invited. He made his way there as quickly as he could.

When the Master of Ceremonies saw him in his ragged cloak, he seated him in the most inconspicuous place, far from the great table where the most important people were waiting on hand and foot.

Nasruddin saw that it would be an hour at last before the waiters reached where he was sitting. So he got up and went home. He dressed himself in a magnificent sable cloak and turban and returned to feast.

As soon as the heralds of the Emir, his host, saw this splendid sight they started to beat the drum of welcome and sound the trumpets in a manner befitting a visitor of high rank.

The Chamberlain came out of the palace himself, and conducted the magnificent Nasruddin to a place almost next to the Emir. A dish of wonderful food was immediately placed before him.

Without a pause, Nasruddin began to rub handfuls of it into his turban and cloak. "Your Eminence," said the prince, "I am curious as to your eating habits, which are new to me."

"Nothing special," said Nasruddin; "the cloak get me in here and got me the food. Surely it deserves its portion."

Mulla Stories # 20 - Mullah delivers a public lecture

Once, the people of the City invited Mulla Nasruddin to deliver a khutba (public lecture).

When he got on the minbar (pulpit), he found the audience was not very enthusiastic, so he asked "Do you know what I am going to say?"

The audience replied "NO", so he announced "I have no desire to speak to people who don't even know what I will be talking about" and he left.

The people felt embarrassed and called him back again the next day. This time when he asked the same question, the people replied "YES" So Mullah Nasruddin said, "Well, since you already know what I am going to say, I won't waste any more of your time" and he left.

Now the people were really perplexed. They decided to try one more time and once again invited the Mullah to speak the following week.

Once again he asked the same question - "Do you know what I am going to say?" Now the people were prepared and so half of them answered "YES" while the other half replied "NO".

So Mullah Nasruddin said "The half who know what I am going to say, tell it to the other half" and he left!

:)

Mulla Stories # 19 - Mulla plays the Violin

Once, Mullah Nasruddin bought a violin.

And he began to play. NEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE....

Same note, same string, over and over. NEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE....

After a few hours his wife was at her wits' end.

"Nasruddin!" she screamed.

NEEE.. Nasruddin put down the bow. "Yes dear?"

"Why do you play the same note? It's driving me crazy! All the real violin players move their fingers up and down, play on different strings! Why don't you play like they do?"

"Well dear, I know why they go up and down and try all different strings."

"Why is that?"

"They're looking for *this* note."

And he picked up his bow and resumed his playing,

"NEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE...."

:)

Mulla Stories # 18 - Mullah meets Death

Mullah Nasruddin was strolling to market one day when he saw a strange, dark shape appear, blocking his path.

"I am Death," it said, "I have come for you."

"Death?" said Nasruddin. "But I'm not even particularly old! And I have so much to do. Are you sure you aren't mistaking me for someone else?"

"I only kill people who are not yet ready to die," said Death.

"I think you're wrong," replied the Hoja. "Let's make a bet."

"A bet? Perhaps. But what shall the stakes be?"

"My life against a hundred pieces of silver."

"Done," said Death, a bag of silver instantly appearing in his hand.

"What a stupid bet you made. After all, what's to stop me from just killing you now, and thus winning automatically?"

"Because I knew you were going to kill me," said Nasruddin, "that's why I made the bet."

"Hmmm . . ." mused Death. "I see. But . . . but, didn't you also know, then, that I would not be able to kill you, because of the terms of our agreement?"

"Not at all," said Nasruddin, and continued down the road, clutching the bag of money.

:)

Mulla Stories # 17 - Paid or exchanged

One day Mullah Nasruddin went to market to buy new clothes.

First he tested a pair of trousers. He didn't like the trousers and he gave back them to the shopkeeper.

Then he tried a robe which had same price as the trousers. Mullah Nasruddin was pleased with the robe and he left the shop.

Before he climbed on the donkey to ride home he stopped by the shopkeeper and the shop-assistant.

"You didn't pay for the robe," said the shopkeeper. "But I gave you the trousers instead of the robe, isn't it?" replied Mullah Nasruddin .

"Yes, but you didn't pay for the trousers, either!" said the shopkeeper. "But I didn't buy the trousers," replied Mullah Nasruddin.

"I am not so stupid to pay for something which I never bought."

:)

Mulla Stories # 16 - Large or Small Fish

Once a renowned philosopher and moralist was traveling through Nasruddin's village when he asked him where there was a good place to eat. He suggested a place and the scholar, hungry for conversation, invited Mullah Nasruddin to join him.

Much obliged, Mullah Nasruddin accompanied the scholar to a nearby restaurant, where they asked the waiter about the special of the day. "Fish! Fresh Fish!" replied the waiter. "Bring us two," they answered.

A few minutes later, the waiter brought out a large platter with two cooked fish on it, one of which was quite a bit smaller than the other. Without hesitating, Mullah Nasruddin cooked the larger of the fish and put in on his plate.

The scholar, giving Mullah Nasruddin a look of intense disbelief, proceeded to tell him that what he did was not only blatantly selfish, but that it violated the principles of almost every known moral, religious, and ethical system.

Mullah Nasruddin calmly listened to the philosopher's extempore lecture patiently, and when he had finally exhausted his resources, Mullah Nasruddin said, "Well, Sir, what would you have done?"

"I, being a conscientious human, would have taken the smaller fish for myself." "And here you are," Mullah Nasruddin said, and placed the smaller fish on the gentleman's plate.

:)

Mulla Stories # 15 - The dead pot

One day, Mulla Nasruddin came riding into town. The people stopped him to ask, "Why are you sitting back to front on your donkey?" He replied, "I know where I am going, I want to see where I have been."

Later that evening, Nasruddin was cooking up some things. He went to his neighbor and asked for a pot and promised to return it the next day.

A knock, knock came on the neighbor's door the next day. Nasruddin had come to return the pot. The neighbor looks at his pot and inside was one smaller.

The neighbor said, "There is a small pot inside the one I loaned you." Nasruddin told him, "The pot gave birth." The neighbor was quite pleased to hear this and accepted the two pots.

The very next morning, Nasruddin knocks on the neighbor's door to borrow a larger pot than the previous one. The neighbor happily abides his the request.

A week goes past, without Nasruddin knocking to return the pot. The neighbor and Nasrudding bump into each other at the bazaar a few days latter. Nasruddin's neighbor asked, "Where is my pot?"

"It's dead," says Nasruddin. "But how can that be?" queries the neighbor. Nasruddin points out, "If a pot can give birth, then a pot can also die."

:)

Mulla Stories # 14 - Safe custody of money

Mullah Nasruddin had a little money. He wanted to hide it some where.

At first he dug a hole, kept the money there and covered it with soil.

After a while he thought the money was not safe there because it would be discovered soon. He dug another hole and kept the money there.

He repeated this action many times. But he was not sure of its security.

He removed it out of the last hiding-place. He put the money into a bag and rode on a donkey taking the bag to a hill top near his house.

He fixed a stick vertically in the ground and from it suspended the bag.

Looking at it from a distance Mullah Nasruddin commented, “Human being is not a bird to come here and steal the bag,”

He came back home. Incidentally a man who was watching Nasruddin from a distance took the money from the bag and poured dung of camel into it.

After a few days when Nasruddin was in need of cash, he went to find the bag. When he brought the bag down from the stick, he found dung of a camel in it.

He got surprised and said, “It is very interesting. How could a camel reach to a place where a person can’t?”

:)

Mulla Stories # 13 - Dispute over the quilt

Mullah Nasruddin was awakened in the middle of the night by the cries of two quarreling men in front of his house.

Mulla waited for a while but they continued to dispute with each other.

Mulla Nasruddin couldn't sleep, wrapping his quilt tightly around his shoulders, he rushed outside to separate the men who had come to blows.

But when he tried to reason with them, one of them snatched the quilt off Mulla's shoulders and then the both of men ran away.

Nasruddin, very weary and perplexed, returned to his house.

"What was the quarrel about?" wondered his wife when Nasruddin came in. "It must be our quilt," replied Nasruddin.

"The quilt is gone, the dispute is ended."

:)

Mulla Stories # 12 - How to live life?

One day Mullah Nasruddin was taking a walk in his village, when several of his neighbors approached him.

"Nasruddin Hoja!" they said to him, "you are so wise and holy! Please take us as your pupils to teach us how we should live our lives, and what we should do!"

Nasruddin paused, then said "Alright; I will teach you the first lesson right now. The most important thing is to take very good care of your feet and sandals; you must keep them clean and neat at all times."

The neighbors listened attentively until they glanced down at his feet, which were in fact quite dirty and shod in old sandals that seemed about to fall apart.

"But Nasruddin Hoja," said one of them, "your feet are terribly dirty, and your sandals are a mess! How do you expect us to follow your teachings if you don't carry them out yourself?"

"Well," replied Nasruddin, "I don't go around asking people how I should live my life either, do I?"

:)

Mulla Stories # 11 - Rescue the moon

Nasruddin was looking at the image of the moon in a well.

He thought it was a recompense to take out the moon from the well.

Therefore, he threw a rope inside the well and swung it a few times.

Incidentally, the tip of the rope got caught to a big stone. He tried to take the rope out. Hence he pulled it with a lot of force.

The rope tore off and he fell on his back to the ground.

When he looked at the sky, he saw the moon and said,

“Doesn’t matter. My efforts were not wasted. Though I faced a lot of difficulties, I finally succeeded to rescue the moon.”

:)

Mulla Stories # 10 - Slap and the penalty

Once a person slapped Mullah Nasruddin in the street. Later he came back and started to apologize and said that he had mistaken Nasruddin for some one else.

But Nasruddin was not satisfied and took tight hold of his collar, took him to the judge and told the judge about the incident.

The judge ordered, “Nasruddin must slap that person to avenge". But Nasruddin didn’t get satisfied.

Thus the judge ordered the person to give Nasruddin a gold coin in lieu of the slap.

The accused had to go out of the court to bring the gold coin.

Nasruddin waited for sometime. The accused didn’t come hack.

Mullah stood up and slapped the judge on his face and said, “Since I have a lot of work, whenever that person Comes and brings the coin, You take the money for this slap.”

:)

Mulla Stories # 9 - Prove me idiotic

Nasruddin used to stand in the street on market-days, to be pointed out as an idiot.

No matter how often people offered him a large and a small coin, he always chose the smaller piece.

One day a kindly man said to him:

- Nasruddin, you should take the bigger coin. Then you will have more money and people will no longer be able to make a laughing stock of you.

- That may be true, said Nasruddin, but if I always take the larger, people will stop offering me money to prove that I am more idiotic than they are.

Then I would have no money at all.

:)

Mulla Stories # 8 - Beggar's needs

As Nasruddin emerged form the mosque after prayers, a beggar sitting on the street solicited alms. The following conversation followed:

- Are you extravagant? asked Nasruddin.

- Yes, Nasruddin. replied the beggar.

- Do you like sitting around drinking coffee and smoking? asked Nasruddin.

- Yes. replied the beggar.

- I suppose you like to go to the baths everyday? asked Nasruddin.

- Yes. replied the beggar.

- ... And maybe amuse yourself, even, by drinking with friends? asked Nasruddin.

- Yes I like all those things. replied the beggar.

- Tut, Tut, said Nasruddin, and gave him a gold piece.

A few yards farther on. another beggar who had overheard the conversation begged for alms also.

- Are you extravagant? asked Nasruddin.

- No, Nasruddin replied second beggar.

- Do you like sitting around drinking coffee and smoking? asked Nasruddin.

- No. replied second beggar.

- I suppose you like to go to the baths everyday? asked Nasruddin.

- No. replied second beggar.

- ... And maybe amuse yourself, even, by drinking with friends? asked Nasruddin.

- No, I want to only live meagerly and to pray. replied second beggar.

Whereupon the Nasruddin gave him a small copper coin.

- But why, wailed second beggar, do you give me, an economical and pious man, a penny, when you give that extravagant fellow a sovereign?

Ah my friend, replied Nasruddin, his needs are greater than yours.

:)

Mulla Stories # 7 - God's servant

Mullah Nasruddin was unemployed and poor but somehow he got little money to eat beans and pilaf at a cheap restaurant.

He ate and examined walking people outside with the corner of the eye. He noticed a long, handsome swashbuckler (bully man) behind crowd. The man was well dressed from head to foot, with velvet turban, silver embroidered vest, silk shirt, satin baggy-trousers and golden scimitar (short curved sword).

Mullah Nasruddin pointed the man and asked restaurant keeper,

- Who is that man over there!

- He is Fehmi Pasha's servant, answered restaurant keeper.

Mullah Nasruddin sighed from far away, looked at the sky and said:

- Oh, my Good Lord! Look at that Fehmi Pasha's servant and look at your own servant, here.

Mulla Stories # 6 - Zurna instrument lessons

One day Mullah Nasruddin wished to learn playing zurna (a kind off shrill pipe) and visited a zurna player.

- How much does it cost to learn playing zurna? asked Mullah Nasruddin.

- Three hundred coins for the first lesson and one hundred for the next lessons, asked zurna player.

- It sounds good, replied Mullah Nasruddin.

We may start with second lesson.

I was a shepherd when I was a young boy, so I already had some whistle experiences. It must be good enough for first lesson, isn't it?

:)

Mulla Stories # 5 - The Lost Ring

One day Mullah Nasruddin lost his ring down in the basement of his house, where it was very dark.

There being no chance of his finding it in that darkness, he went out on the street and started looking for it there.

Somebody passing by stopped and enquire:

- What are you looking for, Mullah Nasruddin ? Have you lost something?

- Yes, I've lost my ring down in the basement.

- But Mullah Nasruddin , why don't you look for it down in the basement where you have lost it? asked the man in surprise.

- Don't be silly, man! How do you expect me to find anything in that darkness!

:)

Mulla Stories # 4 - The power of turban

The wit and wisdom of Mulla Nasruddin never leaves him tongue-tied.

One day an illiterate man came to Mulla Nasruddin with a letter he had received.

- Mullah Nasruddin, please read this letter to me.

Mullah Nasruddin looked at the letter, but could not make out a single word. So he told the man.

- I am sorry, but I cannot read this.

The man cried:

- For shame, Mullah Nasruddin ! You must be ashamed before the turban you wear (i. e. the sign of education)

Mullah Nasruddin removed the turban from his own head and placed it on the head of the illiterate man, said:

- There, now you wear the turban. If it gives some knowledge, read the letter yourself.

:)

Mulla Stories # 3 - Pumpkins on Trees

One hot day, Mulla Nasruddin was taking it easy in the shade of a walnut tree.

After some time, he started eying speculatively, the huge pumpkins growing on vines and the small walnuts growing on a majestic tree.

- Sometimes I just can't understand the ways of God! he mused. Just fancy letting tinny walnuts grow on so majestic a tree and huge pumpkins on the delicate vines!

Just then a walnut snapped off and fell smack on Mullah Nasruddin's bald head. He got up at once and lifting up his hands and face to heavens in supplication, said:

- Oh, my God! Forgive my questioning your ways! You are all-wise. Where would I have been now, if pumpkins grew on trees!

:)

Mulla Stories # 2 - Come up the Ladder

One day Mulla Nasruddin repaired tiles on the roof of his house. While Nasruddin was working on the roof, a stranger knocked the door.

- What do you want? Nasruddin shouted out.

- Come down, replied stranger- So I can tell it.

Nasruddin unwilling and slowly climbed down the ladder.

- Well! replied Nasruddin, what was the important thing?

- Could you give little money to this poor old man? begged stranger.

Tired Nasruddin started to climb up the ladder and said,

- Follow me up to the roof.

When both Nasruddin and beggar were upside, on the roof, Nasruddin said,

- The answer is no!

:)

Mulla Stories # 1 - Loan the donkey

This month of May - it is real hot Summar here in Chennai, and we certainly deserve lot of good breaks and fun to remain cool. Hence, this month is going to be full of fun and sweet smartness with the best jokes and stories of Mullah Nasruddin (Mulla, in short).

Mullah Nasruddin Nasruddin lived in Anatolia, Turkey; he was born in Hortu Village in Sivrihisar, Eski_ehir in the 13thcentury, then settled in Ak_ehir, and later in Konya, where he died. As generations went by, new stories were added, others were modified, and the character and his tales spread to other regions.

The themes in the tales have become part of the folklore of a number of nations and express the national imaginations of a variety of cultures. Although most of them depict Nasreddin in an early small-village setting, the tales (like Aesop's fables) deal with concepts that have a certain timelessness. They purvey a pithy folk wisdom that triumphs over all trials and tribulations. The oldest manuscript of Nasreddin was found in 1571. Enough of background, and now on to the very first Mulla story.

Loan the Donkey

A neighbor who Mulla Nasruddin didn't like very much came over to his compound one day. The neighbor asked Nasruddin if he could borrow his donkey.

Mulla not wanting to lend his donkey to the neighbor he didn't like told him, "I would love to loan you my donkey but only yesterday my brother came from the next town to use it to carry his wheat to the mill to be grounded. The donkey sadly is not here."

The neighbor was disappointed. But he thanked Nasruddin and began to walk away.

Just as he got a few steps away, Mullah Nasruddin's donkey, which was in the back of his compound all the time, let out a big bray.

The neighbor turned to Nasruddin and said, "Mulla Sahib, I thought you told me that your donkey was not here.

Mulla Nasruddin turned to the neighbor and said, "My friend, who are you going to believe? Me or the donkey?

:)