Full Cover Reveal of The Uncommon Sense of the Immortal Mullah Nasruddin redesign

Bear Bones Books is pleased to announce the pending release of the redesigned edition of The Uncommon Sense of the Immortal Mullah Nasruddin: Stories, jests, and donkey tales of the beloved Persian folk hero, collected & retold by Ron J. Suresha.

Once, when young Nasruddin was acting up in class by distracting his friends with endless antics, jests, and stories, his irate teacher uttered a curse: “Whatever you do or say,  people will only laugh at you.” Now, eight centuries later, children, adults, and wise fools everywhere are still laughing at Mullah Nasruddin (Nasreddin Hoca), one of the world’s most beloved folk characters. This entertaining and insightful retelling of more than a year’s worth of daily Mullah stories brings the famed Persian legend into the Twenty-First Century. Storytellers, folklorists, Sufis, comedians, wisdom seekers, and everyone who loves to laugh will be enriched and enlightened by the timeless wit, inscrutable wisdom, and uncommon sense of humor of Mullah Nasruddin.

~ An Anne Izard Storytellers’ Choice Award Winner

~ A Storytelling World Honor Book

“A fine pick and very highly recommended.”    — Midwest Book Review

softcover: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1982055677

hardcover: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08ZD8T75S

ebook: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0793GYM8S

audiobook: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ECFH8J0/

Mullah Nasruddin books both now in Hardcover!

“Uncommon Sense” & “Extraordinary Adventures” — acclaimed Mullah Nasruddin story collections now in Hardcover from Bear Bones Books

Just in time for April Fools Day!

Both of Ron J. Suresha’s acclaimed Mullah Nasruddin story collections are now available in hardcover!

Mullah Nasruddin (Nasreddin Hoca), the eight-centuries-old “wise fool” character originating from the Levant, is the subject of thousands of funny, wise tales, jokes, and anecdotes told across the Middle and Far East, and retold today around the world. 

These pithy stories and folk tales, extensively researched and carefully chosen from beloved authentic sources by an award-winning author, are certain to bring readers a smile, nod, or chuckle of self-recognition on every page.

Hundreds of Nasreddin Hoca’s most endearing, enduring stories, gathered here by an award-winning author in two volumes, will amuse, illuminate, and captivate readers with Nasruddin’s ageless, unique humor and universal humanity. 

#MullahNasruddin #NasreddinHoca

~

The Uncommon Sense of the Immortal Mullah Nasruddin:

Stories, jests, and donkey tales of the beloved Persian folk hero

ISBN: 979-8722301024

NSR3c cov

~

Extraordinary Adventures of Mullah Nasruddin:

Naughty, unexpurgated stories of the beloved wise fool from the Middle and Far East

ISBN: 979-8723457614

New edition of *Uncommon Sense* now available

A new softcover edition of

The Uncommon Sense of the Immortal Mullah Nasruddin

is now available from Bear Bones Books on Amazon.com!

The Uncommon Sense of the Immortal Mullah Nasruddin, 2nd revised edition

The Kindle version of the new edition will be available very soon.

The audiobook, narrated by Ted Brooks, is still available from Audible.com.

*

AN ANNE IZARD STORYTELLERS’ CHOICE AWARD WINNER

A STORYTELLING WORLD HONOR BOOK

Order your copy of the 2nd revised edition now!

*

Coming soon:

The first revised edition of

Extraordinary Adventures of Mullah Nasruddin

Listen. Laugh. Repeat. Mullah Nasruddin on audiobook

NSR Nasruddin audiobook cover rev
NSR Nasruddin audiobook cover rev

Listen, laugh, repeat!

The Uncommon Sense of the Immortal Mullah Nasruddin
Stories, jests, and donkey tales of the beloved Persian folk hero
by Ron J. Suresha

Now available on Audible.com

narrated by Ted Brooks

* An Anne Izard Storytellers’ Choice Award Winner
* A Storytelling World Honor Book

Noted voice talent Ted Brooks captures the wit, wisdom and uncommon sense of humor of Mullah Nasruddin, the beloved folk character known in his native Turkey as Nasreddin Hoca and by other names throughout the Middle and Far East, in this award-winning, unabridged collection of more than 365 authentic stories and jokes.

Storytellers, folklorists, Sufis, comedians, wisdom seekers, and everyone who loves to laugh will be enriched and enlightened by the timeless wit and wisdom of Mullah Nasruddin.

Listen to a sample and get the audiobook of Uncommon Sense on Audible.com.

  • Length: 7 hrs and 55 mins
  • Format: Unabridged
  • $19.95 or Free with Membership
  • Lethe Press / Audible.com

 

 

Short-term commitment

A Mullah Nasruddin / Nasreddin Hoca story

 

Short-term commitment

Mullah Nasruddin
Mullah Nasruddin

One day in the chai shop, Mali asked Nasruddin, “Why is it that you never speak your wife’s name?”

“Because I have no idea what it is,” said the Mullah.

“What‽ How long have you been married?”

“We’ve been married maybe twenty years, give or take a few.”

Jafar asked, “Mullah, you’re married now for two decades and you don’t know your wife’s name‽”

Nasruddin said, “When we were wed, by our parents’ arrangement, I had no intention of making a go at the marriage, so why should I learn her name?”

Mali said, “It’s Fatima, you dolt. You really can’t remember the year you married Fatima, your wife?”

“To tell the truth, I don’t remember exactly when we were wed,” Nasruddin replied. “As should be clear to you by now, it happened long before I had any sense whatsoever.”

 

Excerpted from

Extraordinary Adventures of Mullah Nasruddin
by Ron J. Suresha

now in print from Lethe Press

~

 

 


Listen and laugh: Mullah Nasruddin audiobook available

by rjs
Comments: Comments Off
Published on: August 22, 2014

NSR Nasruddin audiobook cover rev
NSR Nasruddin audiobook cover rev

Listen and laugh!

Mullah Nasruddin audiobook available on Audible.com

narrated by Ted Brooks

The Uncommon Sense of the Immortal Mullah Nasruddin
Stories, jests, and donkey tales of the beloved Persian folk hero
by Ron J. Suresha

  *   An Anne Izard Storytellers’ Choice Award Winner
*   A Storytelling World Honor Book

Noted voice talent Ted Brooks captures the wit, wisdom and uncommon sense of humor of Mullah Nasruddin, the beloved folk character known in his native Turkey as Nasreddin Hoca and by other names throughout the Middle and Far East, in this award-winning, unabridged collection of more than 365 authentic stories and jokes.

Once, when Nasruddin was acting up in school by distracting his classmates with endless antics, jests, and donkey tales, his irate teacher cursed the boy: “Whatever you do or say, wherever you go or stay, whether it’s night or day — people will only laugh at you.” Now, eight centuries later, children, adults, and wise fools everywhere are still telling and laughing at Mullah stories.

This entertaining and insightful retelling brings the famed Persian legend into the 21st Century. Storytellers, folklorists, Sufis, comedians, wisdom seekers, and everyone who loves to laugh will be enriched and enlightened by the timeless wit and wisdom of Mullah Nasruddin.

Check out the audiobook of Uncommon Sense on Audible.com

  • Length: 7 hrs and 55 mins 
  • Format: Unabridged
  • $19.95 or Free with Membership
  • Lethe Press / Audible.com

 

 

Only two sides of the river

A Mullah Nasruddin story

Only two sides of the river

Mullah Nasruddin
Mullah Nasruddin

One sunny afternoon Mullah Nasruddin was sitting quietly on a riverbank near Lake Aksehir when someone approached the river from the opposite side. After looking around a bit, the fellow noticed Nasreddin and shouted out, “Hey there! Excuse me — please tell me, how do I get across?”

Without getting up, Nasruddin shouted back, “You are across!”

 

Excerpted from the forthcoming Extraordinary Adventures of Mullah Nasruddin, by Ron J. Suresha

 

Most times, you’re already right where you need to be, but just don’t recognize it.

 

Thank God I Wasn’t in It

by rjs
Comments: Comments Off
Published on: January 18, 2014
A Mullah Nasruddin story

Thank God I Wasn’t in It

continued from “The Quilt Is Gone, the Fight Is Done”

Mullah Nasruddin
Mullah Nasruddin

After Fatima’s quilt was stolen, Nasruddin bought a bow, quiver, and some arrows. It made him feel more secure somehow, knowing that he had a weapon to protect his family and home — and his quilt — so he placed it near his bed.

One breezy night a loud flapping and rustling in the backyard wakened Nasruddin.

Seeing his wife Fatima snoring asleep in her bed, he crept to the window, picking up his trusty quiver and bow. There was definitely something moving out back, some sort of shadowy figure with his arms aflutter in the strong wind.

Nasruddin rubbed his eyeballs twice and blinked thrice and shook his head until his neck cracked, but he could only make out the cloak of the man standing at the far end of the backyard near the tree. The moonlight in the wind scattered clouds that obscured most of the faceless apparition, but Nasruddin peered at the dark figure in the corner of the yard as hard as he could, and he thought he recognized — could it be? — that someone was wearing his cloak? The thief must have nabbed it from the branch where Fatima hung it to dry after she’d cleaned it last night, and now was prancing about in glee at having stolen such a lovely warm cloak.

Nasruddin looked over at the snoring Fatima, his beloved first wife of so many years, and whispered, “Don’t worry, my dear. I’ll protect you — and my cloak!”

He flung the windows open, hoping the sound would scare the thief leaping in and out of the shadows in the backyard, but still the rascally character danced next to his apricot tree, flailing his arms wildly, now seeming to taunt Nasruddin.

He issued a warning: “Enough of your barbaric thievery! Return my fine cloak to me right now, or I’ll shoot you right there!” Still the man — perhaps it was a ghoul or a djinn! — seemed to sway and wave his arms as the wind blew sharply around him.

“All right, you scoundrel! You asked for it!” Nasruddin was so terrified and angry that the bow shook in his right hand as he placed his arrow shakily on the notch, pulled back the drawstring with his elbow akimbo — and closed his eyes tight.

He released the bow and ducked. The arrow hit something — he heard the sound of fabric ripping and a thud. Nasruddin squinted his ears, if such a thing can be done, listening for . . . the intruder . . . or anything.

As the breeze continued rustling the branches it became clear that the arrow had hit its target! Nasruddin peered over the edge of the window but, with the moon still darting in and out of the clouds, he could not see any movement near the apricot tree. He raised his bow triumphantly, silently praising God for protecting Fatima and his children from such an evil spirit, when suddenly he realized in horror — he’d just shot a man!

Nasruddin gasped, dropped the bow, shut and latched the windows, then ran downstairs and locked and barricaded the front door. Then he ran upstairs and seeing Fatima still sound asleep and snoring, he jumped under the quilt and pulled it around him tight, shivering like a little question mark scrawled in his bed until finally he fell asleep.

Fatima’s voice of course woke him the next morning, entirely too early, but not from beside him in bed. She was yelling for him from outside the locked windows. Nasruddin tumbled wearily out of bed and cautiously opened a window. Now he could hear Fatima’s familiar screeching voice and see clearly, as she stood beside the tree, what he’d shot the night before . . .

Fatima was cursing Nasruddin as she tried to pull the arrow from his cloak to release it from the branch where she had hung it. Nasruddin’s arrow had pinned the cloak right between the shoulders to the apricot tree.

Nasruddin waved his hands high above his head, dancing and shouting, “Praise God! God be praised!”

After struggling with the cloak, Fatima ended up tearing a rather large hole in it, leaving the arrow embedded in the tree. She stormed back to the house up to the window where Nasruddin was still praising God loudly.

Fatima yelled, “What are you saying ‘God be praised’ for? You ruined your best cloak!”

Nasruddin embraced and kissed his wife, then held her hands as he danced around the room. “But do you not see, my dear? If I had been wearing my most unfortunate cloak, I would have been shot through the heart and killed myself! Praise, praise God, I am saved!”

 

Excerpted from The Uncommon Sense of the Immortal Mullah Nasruddin

The Quilt Is Gone, the Fight Is Done

by rjs
Comments: Comments Off
Published on: January 16, 2014
A Mullah Nasruddin story

The Quilt Is Gone, the Fight Is Done

Mullah Nasruddin
Mullah Nasruddin

One winter night, Mullah Nasruddin and his wife Fatima were sleeping soundly in their own beds, snuggled up under the covers and quilt, when the loud din of quarreling voices outside wakened them. It sounded like two thieves were drunk and arguing about something, but neither Nasruddin nor Fatima could make out quite what was the source of conflict.

After the noisy row had gone on for a while, Fatima urged her husband to get out of bed and investigate the matter. “They could be thieves,” she whimpered, pulling the bedsheets up close. “They could be terrorists.”

Yawning, Nasruddin agreed to check out the disturbance. He was far too sleepy to bother to dress in his turban and cloak, which would have shown the shouting hooligans that he was a village judge, a man not to be disturbed in the middle of a heavenly dream. Instead, Nasruddin wrapped the quilt that Fatima had painstakingly hand-stitched around his shoulders and trudged outside to investigate the commotion.

As Nasruddin stepped outside into the cool night air to confront the two boisterous men, they stopped their fighting and faced the Mullah. Before Nasruddin could even say, “Stop fighting, will you?” the two men set upon him with fists and shouts. One of the thieves grabbed Fatima’s quilt from off the Mullah’s back, spun him around, then tore off into the night with the other man, leaving Nasruddin naked and stupefied.

Finding himself shivering, Nasruddin dashed upstairs to the bedroom, where Fatima was awaiting his return. She asked, “Nasruddin, what happened to the two men? What were they arguing about at this time of night? And where did my beautiful handmade quilt go?”

Nasruddin could only sigh and reply, “They must have been fighting about your quilt, because as soon as they took it, they stopped fighting. Still, I’m glad to report, now that the quilt is gone, the fight is done.”

This story continues with “Thank God I Wasn’t in It”

Excerpted from The Uncommon Sense of the Immortal Mullah Nasruddin

Gone gray

A Mullah Nasruddin story

Gone gray

Mullah Nasruddin
Mullah Nasruddin

Nasreddin often quarreled violently with his elderly mother, and she chided him: “My son! My hair has turned gray — only due to your constant contradicting and quarreling with me!”

He replied: “It may be that your disputes with me have made your hair turn gray, but tell me this: who told you to pull all your teeth?”



 

Excerpted from the forthcoming Extraordinary Adventures of Nasreddin.

 

Sources

Marzolph 109.

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