Next Year, Perhaps
Early one spring while traveling, Nasruddin was abducted by thieves who forced him at knifepoint to be their lookout while they emptied the contents of the house of a wealthy merchant. After the robbery, the thieves escaped on swift horses, laughing at Nasruddin as they sped away. Mullah, alone with only his little grey donkey (who could certainly go no faster on four legs than the Mullah could run on two), was caught. Luqman the bekche took Nasruddin to jail and booked him for the burglary.
At Nasruddin’s criminal trial, despite his many and vivid protestations of innocence, he was found guilty for the robbery. The judge, under pressure from lobbysts and citizen groups, and wanting to appear tough, sentenced Nasruddin to death.
The judge told Nasruddin that before he was executed, he would be granted three requests.
“Fine,” said Nasruddin evenly. “For my first wish, “I wish to have a very large dish of fresh snow sprinkled with sugar.”
“Quite odd,” said the judge, “but I am obliged to grant your request. Of course, there won’t be snow on the ground yet until winter.”
“No problem,” said Nasruddin. “I don’t mind waiting.”
So nine months passed until the first flurries came, at which point Nasruddin was served a humongous dish of cold, pure snow with a delicate topping of fine cane sugar, which he ate with pleasure, only once eating too fast that he got a headache.
When his meal of snow was done, he was brought before the judge, who asked for his second request. “Next,” Nasruddin told the judge, “I would like to eat six fresh ripe apples.”
“Not such an unusual request,” said the judge, “but of course, apples are not yet in season until late summer,” said the judge.
“Not to worry,” said Nasruddin, “I’ll wait.”
So nine months passed until summer, and Nasruddin was given six ripe, delicious, juicy apples, which he ate with relish.
When he finished eating, the Mullah was again brought before the judge. “At long last, Nasruddin,” said the judge, “what is your third and last request before you are to be executed?”
“Thank you, Your Honor. My final request,” said Nasruddin, “is to be buried next to the Shah.”
“But the Shah is not yet dead — he is quite alive, and just turned forty,” exclaimed the judge.
“No problem,” said Nasruddin, smiling with his palms folded. “I can wait.”
