Selling the Ladder | Mullah Nasruddin Books by Ron J. Suresha

Selling the Ladder

Nasruddin wanted some of the delicious apricots hanging from the tree in his neighbor Hamza’s backyard, so he put his ladder on the adjoining wall, climbed up, pulled the ladder over, and was almost to the ground on the other side when Hamza came right up behind him and said, “Just what exactly do you think you’re doing in my garden?”

“I was hoping, my friend,” Nasruddin said, “to interest you in this fine ladder that I have available to sell.”

“You young fool,” snarled Hamza. “You mean to say that you were going to sell me a ladder in my own backyard?”

Nasruddin defended himself, saying, “It’s my ladder, and I can sell it wherever I choose.”
“No, Nasruddin, I’m not buying it,” said Hamza.

“You overlook the obvious, effendi, which is that I’ve just demonstrated that the ladder works perfectly. Truth is, one may sell a ladder of this high caliber absolutely anywhere,” said Nasruddin, as he stepped back on to the ladder. “However, since I can tell you’re not the sort of buyer who is interested in acquiring only the finest model of ladder available, I’ll just take my wares elsewhere.”

Your Daily Nasruddin

This telling is combined from several versions that each contain differing responses to Hamza’s confrontation with young Nasruddin and his ladder.
There are several other jokes mentioning Nasruddin’s irresistible desire for apricots (“The rarest birdsong“), as well as numerous stories about interactions with the neighbors.
The story depicts the youthful foolish Nasruddin as a thief — if not a scoundrel — or at the very least a rascal. Of course he has no business in his neighbor’s yard. But whatever he’s selling, the buyer ain’t buying it.
So why did Hamza build a rock wall between his and Nasruddin’s properties to begin with? To keep out apricot thieves without ladders.
Just as foolish as mounting his neighbor’s wall in the first place, Nasruddin’s quick thinking helps him make a graceful, albeit apricotless, exit. (In one variation, however, the boy has already stuffed his pockets before leaving.)
This escape/excuse is the “back up slowly smiling” maneuver, an essential move for any dumb crook who wants to live to steal another day.