Prepare Ye the Way
Once, when Nasruddin worked on a ferryman on the river, he was shuttling a small group of irreligious persons who made fun of Nasruddin as he warned them to repent their sins and prepare their souls for God’s judgment, as death could always take anyone unprepared.
Suddenly a thunderstorm broke out and threatened to swamp the raft, and the passengers feared for their lives. Now they came whining to Nasruddin and cried: “Tell us what we can do so that God forgives us and saves us from death!”
Nasruddin advised them gravely: “Beware of carnal desire and sinful actions! Promise God that you will cease to lead such an unholy life, and I am sure that the Lord will spare you in His mercy and lead us to safety. Trust me!
“And by the way — over there, I can see the pier!”
Excerpted from The Uncommon Sense of the Immortal Mullah Nasruddin: Stories, Jests, and Donkey Tales of the Beloved Persian Folk Hero
Your Daily Nasruddin
Another example of how Nasruddin craftily squirms his way out of lending his donkey. The Mullah is sometimes portrayed as being affluent and generous, but generally he’s said to be poor and somewhat of a skinflint.
In another story, when asked why he put his gum on his nose when eating, the Mullah replied, “Poor people always have to keep their possessions right in front of them.”
