Tie It Down from Below
Once Nasruddin was aboard a ship when a fierce storm blew up fast. The boat was tossed to and fro and the topsail tore. The captain ordered all hands to furl the sails and lash them to the masts.
One sailor rushed up the mast to tie up the torn sail when Nasruddin shouted, “You fool! What are you doing? If you want to keep the boat from rocking so, you must tie it down from below, not from the top!”