A proper bird

by rjs
Categories: From the book Extraordinary Adventures
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Published on: October 13, 2014
A Mullah Nasruddin / Nasreddin Hoca story

 

A proper bird

Mullah Nasruddin
Mullah Nasruddin

One day in the market, Mullah Nasruddin came across a vendor selling exotic birds of various sorts, including a stork. Mullah had never seen this sort of bird before. He bought one of these peculiar long-legged, long-beaked birds at the market, and brought him home.

When he returned home, he set the bird down on a table and got out a cage he had which previously held two pigeons. Nasruddin looked at the new bird critically, and realized that it would never fit in its cage. The proportions were all off. “You poor thing,” he sighed, “how did you ever grow into this wretched state‽”

So he took a knife and trimmed the stork’s beak and legs down to what looked like the right length. Then he put the stork in his cage and said, “Well, now not only do you finally fit, at least you look like a proper bird!”

 

Excerpted from

Extraordinary Adventures of Mullah Nasruddin
by Ron J. Suresha

now in print from Lethe Press

~

 

 


Cow or donkey?

by rjs
Categories: From the book Extraordinary Adventures
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Published on: October 6, 2014
A Mullah Nasruddin / Nasreddin Hoca story

 

Cow or donkey?

Mullah Nasruddin
Mullah Nasruddin

One day, Fatima wanted milk for their children, so she nagged her husband, Mullah Nasruddin, to get a cow so they might have a steady source on hand.

“My dear,” countered Nasruddin, “I would gladly obtain for us a cow, but there is simply no room in the stable for one. It’s just large enough for my little donkey, Karakacan, and I want her to be comfortable.”

The donkey’s comfort, or lack thereof, hardly seemed rationale enough to avoid getting a cow, so Fatima pressed her husband with her request until finally he relented. He threw his leg over Karakacan’s back and rode to market and, after considerable deliberation and bargaining, he chose a healthy-looking bovine and led her home.

Nasruddin was still sure that his donkey would suffer greatly, so he took the time on his way home with the cow to acquaint Allah with his predicament. He knelt on his prayer rug and, after bowing his head, he turned up his hands in appeal to the Almighty.

“Oh Allah,” Mullah prayed, “Thou know that I love my little grey donkey, and that she won’t be at ease with a cow in the same stable. Dear Allah, if it be Thy will, please take the life of my cow, that my beloved little gray donkey, Karakacan, will be at peace.” Having left the matter in God’s hands, Nasruddin returned home, stabled and fed both animals, and went about the rest of his affairs.

The next morning, Mullah scurried out to the stable to see how his donkey managed overnight. To his shock, he found Karakacan had fallen down dead. “Ai vai,” he wailed, heartbroken at the loss of his longtime friend.

Fatima, hearing his cries, ran to the window and called out, “Mullah, what is the matter?”

“It is nothing,” Nasruddin muttered, then added under his breath bitterly, “nothing but my dear little donkey.”

After Fatima closed the window, Nasruddin fell to his knees once again in supplication to God. “Oh Allah, Thou art all-knowing and all-powerful. But can Thou not tell the basic difference between a cow and a donkey‽”

 

Excerpted from

Extraordinary Adventures of Mullah Nasruddin
by Ron J. Suresha

now in print from Lethe Press

~

 

 


Hot couture

by rjs
Categories: From the book Extraordinary Adventures
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Published on: September 29, 2014
A Mullah Nasruddin / Nasreddin Hoca story

 

Hot couture

Mullah Nasruddin
Mullah Nasruddin

One swelteringly hot day at the chai shop, Mullah and the wags were discussing distant lands. Faik declared, “There are some places where it so hot that the most people go around completely naked.”

Nasruddin asked, “Without clothes, how in the world do they tell the women from the men?”

 

 

Excerpted from

Extraordinary Adventures of Mullah Nasruddin
by Ron J. Suresha

now in print from Lethe Press

~

 

 


Public readings for Extraordinary Adventures

by rjs
Categories: Announcements, From the book Extraordinary Adventures
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Published on: September 25, 2014

Public readings for Extraordinary Adventures

~

Thursday, October 30, 2014
6:00 – 7:15 pm

Provincetown Public Library

356 Commercial Street
Provincetown, MA 02657

(508) 487-7094

Join us for a night of bawdy folklore and wintering bears, as Ron Suresha presents two books coming out this November.
First is Suresha’s new collection of Turkish folk humor, Extraordinary Adventures of Mullah Nasruddin, from Lethe Press, the sequel to his 2001 award-winning book of humor, The Uncommon Sense of the Immortal Mullah Nasruddin. These authentic, hilarious “Naughty Nasruddin” stories deal with tabu topics such as bisexuality, adultery, incest, bestiality, and violence. Repressed for centuries for moralistic reasons, many are being published in an English trade book for the first time. Come prepared to be amused and astounded.
The author will also read from the new anthology, The Bears of Winter, edited by Jerry L. Wheeler (who lives in Denver and cannot attend), published by the Bear Bones Books of Lethe Press, which Suresha edits. Listen to excerpts from growlingly sexy bearotica that will make your fur thicken.
Following the reading, Suresha will answer questions and sign copies of his books.

More information here:

http://provincetownlibrary.org/calendar/#action=calp_agenda&calp_item_id=316

~

Sunday, November 9th, 2014, 7:00pm

BGSQD

@ LGBT Center

208 West 13th Street, Room 210

New York, NY

Join us for a night of bawdy folklore and wintering bears, as Ron Suresha presents two books coming out this November.
First is Suresha’s new collection of Turkish folk humor, Extraordinary Adventures of Mullah Nasruddin, from Lethe Press, the sequel to his 2001 award-winning storybook, The Uncommon Sense of the Immortal Mullah Nasruddin. These authentic, hilarious “Naughty Nasruddin” stories deal with tabu topics such as bisexuality, adultery, incest, bestiality, and violence. Repressed for centuries for moralistic reasons, many are being published in an English trade book for the first time. Come prepared to be amused and astounded.
The author will also read from the new anthology, The Bear of Winter, edited by Jerry L. Wheeler (who lives in Denver and cannot attend), published by the Bear Bones Books of Lethe Press, which Suresha edits. Listen to excerpts from growlingly sexy bearotica that will make your fur thicken.
Following the reading, Suresha will answer questions and sign copies of his books.

~

Saturday, November 22nd, 2014, 2:00pm – 4:00pm

Bank Street Book Nook

50 Bank St

New Milford, Connecticut

(860) 354-3865

Please join us for a local author reading and book signing as Ron J. Suresha presents his new collection of Turkish folk tales, Extraordinary Adventures of Mullah Nasruddin, from Lethe Press, the sequel to his 2001 award-winning book of humor, The Uncommon Sense of the Immortal Mullah Nasruddin.

These authentic centuries-old, hilarious folk tales deal with traditional and taboo situations involving the “wise fool” character Nasruddin. Some were suppressed for centuries for moralistic reasons, and many are published here in an English trade book for the first time. Come prepared to be amused and astounded.

Following the reading, Suresha will answer questions and sign copies of his books.
More information here: https://www.facebook.com/events/560207697443612

Goodreads interview on Extraordinary Adventures of Mullah Nasruddin

by rjs
Categories: Announcements
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Published on: September 24, 2014
Goodreads interviews the author of Extraordinary Adventures of Mullah Nasruddin

My interview discussing Extraordinary Adventures of Mullah Nasruddin is up on Goodreads. (Thanks to Gavin Atlas for putting it out there.) Here’s part of it.

XNS coverSquare

Strobing Limelight interviews Ron J. Suresha

Ron J. Suresha is an award-winning author and editor of more than a dozen books, most recently, EXTRAORDINARY ADVENTURES OF MULLAH NASRUDDIN: NAUGHTY, UNEXPURGATED TALES OF THE BELOVED WISE FOOL FROM THE MIDDLE AND FAR EAST, published by Lethe Press. The book is the much-anticipated sequel to Suresha’s first, award-winning collection of Turkish folk tales. He lives in central-western Connecticut. Mr. Suresha, please tell us more.

AI Award RJS copyRon J. Suresha: Thanks for asking. Extraordinary Adventures is a collection of more than 250 hilarious and completely authentic stories about the famous wise fool, Mullah Nasruddin. For more than eight centuries, this beloved character has been known in many countries by various names, including Afanti, Nastratin, Djuha, Giufá, Sheikh Nasruddin, Abu Nuwas, and, in Turkey, which claims him as a native, he is known as Nasreddin Hoca.

LS: How did you come to be acquainted with Mullah Nasruddin?

RJS: My mother had told me as a child some of the pithier jokes, usually to point out some aspect of my contrarian behavior: “Why do you always answer a question with a question?” “Do I?” Fast forward to the 1980s, when for more than eight years I lived in a yoga ashram, and heard many more Nasruddin stories, which my teachers and fellow students included in daily lectures and discussions on spiritual life.

LS: You’re not Turkish, so why did you decide to do a retelling of Nasruddin stories?

RJS: Sufi writer Idries Shah had published several volumes of stories in the 1960s, but there had not been a comprehensive, modern retelling in English of the most popular stories since. The first book, The Uncommon Sense of the Immortal Mullah Nasruddin, published by Lethe Press in 2011, has more than 365 stories, and was honored with an Anne Izard Storyteller’s Choice Award and a Storytelling World Honor.

LS: Congratulations. So, does the new book present more of the same or something different?

RJS: Yes. I mean, both! Although the first book included some ribald jokes, most were written for a general readership. Extraordinary Adventures of Mullah Nasruddin has all the bawdy material excluded from the first work, plus many additional non-bawdy stories I unearthed while researching the folklore. So there’s more of the same, with dozens of new stories retold in English for the first time.

LS: What is the readership for this book?

RJS: Storytellers, folklorists, comedians, wisdom seekers, readers interested in Middle East culture and world literature — and everyone who loves to laugh.

 

Read more: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/2013968-strobing-limelight-interviews-ron-j-suresha

Extraordinary Adventures of Mullah Nasruddin
by Ron J. Suresha

now in print from Lethe Press

~

 

 


Short-term commitment

by rjs
Categories: From the book Extraordinary Adventures, From the book Uncommon Sense
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Published on: September 22, 2014
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

~

 

 


Ron reads “Nasruddin’s nail” from Extraordinary Adventures of Mullah Nasruddin

by rjs
Categories: From the book Extraordinary Adventures
Tags: , , , , , , , ,
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Published on: September 12, 2014

XNS coverSquareAuthor Ron Suresha reads the folk tale “Nasruddin’s nail” from his book, Extraordinary Adventures of Mullah Nasruddin

Extraordinary Adventures of Mullah Nasruddin — now in print!

by rjs
Categories: Announcements, From the book Extraordinary Adventures
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Published on: September 11, 2014

Now in print!

Extraordinary Adventures of Mullah Nasruddin

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

collected & retold by Ron J. Suresha

published by Lethe Press

XNS frcoverfinalmedThe mullah rides his donkey again!

This much-anticipated sequel to the award-winning folklore collection detailing the exploits of the beloved 800-year-old Turkish “wise fool,” Mullah Nasruddin (Nasreddin Hoca), presents well over 250 hilarious, authentic folk tales, dozens appearing in English for the first time.

Author Suresha has done extensive research to unearth and retell these centuries-old “naughty Nasruddin” stories from around the globe. These ribald tales depict the Mullah as he daily interacts with his family, donkey, community, and strangers during his journeys. Many tales, previously suppressed for moralistic reasons, explore taboo themes. Mature readers will be amused and amazed by this unadulterated account of the truly Extraordinary Adventures of Mullah Nasruddin.

 

ISBN-13: 978-1-59021-464-1 ~ ISBN-10: 1-59021-464-0

Lethe Press, October 2014

lethe logo_back

Softcover: 208 pages • Includes glossary and bibliography

ISBN-10: 1-59021-464-1 • ISBN-13: 978-1-59021-464-0 • eISBN: 978-1-59021-465-7

Softcover: $20.00 USD • ebook, $9.99

~

Categories: Humor / Folklore / World Literature / Middle Eastern Studies

~

Buy the book from the Publisher here.

Distributed by: Baker & Taylor, Ingram

Also available for Kindle, iBook, PDF download, and all electronic book formats.

Order the book from Amazon here.

Order the ebook from Amazon Kindle here.

Order the book from Amazon.uk here.

Order the book from Goodreads here.

Order the book from Omnilit here.

Order the book from Smashwords here.

~

Download a one-page flyer about the book below.

XNS flyer2Check out cover illustrator Jaxinto here.

Sowing camel seeds

by rjs
Categories: From the book Extraordinary Adventures
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Published on: September 8, 2014
A Mullah Nasruddin / Nasreddin Hoca story

 

Sowing camel seeds

Mullah Nasruddin
Mullah Nasruddin

One day in early spring, while Mullah Nasruddin was ploughing his field, his friends Hamza and Faruk came up to him and asked, “Mullah, what are you planting here?”

“Camel seeds,” he answered. The Mullah then chatted with his friends for a few minutes before they continued on their way.

Late that summer, Nasruddin was walking out to the field when he saw three camels munching on the wheat growing there. He reined them and led the animals back to his stable, then went to the house and told Fatima, “My camel seeds have at last sprouted, seemingly overnight.”

The next day, Musa, the owner of the camels, finally noticed his animals had escaped their pen. Carefully, he followed their tracks to the Mullah’s place. He knocked at the house.

The Mullah answered the door and Musa said, “My camels ran off, and I followed them here. Give them back to me.”

Nasruddin scoffed, “What sort of bullshit is this? Those camels are the crop that I sowed in my own field.”

Musa took Nasruddin to court. When Bekri, the judge, asked the Mullah to speak in his defense, he said, “Your Honor, those animals are the product of camel seeds I planted months ago.”

Bekri asked him, “Do you have any evidence or witnesses?”

“I most certainly do. Let me get them.” Nasruddin left the court and brought Hamza and Faruk back before the judge.

Bekri asked them, “Did you witness the defendant, Nasruddin, planting camel seeds?”

Faruk said, “Yes, it’s true, we saw it. Early in the spring, we stopped by the Mullah’s place and saw him sowing camel seeds in his field.” Hamza confirmed the facts.

There was nothing left for Musa to say, so the judge said, “I rule in favor of Nasruddin. Case dismissed.”

 

Excerpted from

Extraordinary Adventures of Mullah Nasruddin
by Ron J. Suresha

now in print from Lethe Press!

 

 


Afraid to miss it

by rjs
Categories: From the book Extraordinary Adventures, The Daily Nasruddin
Tags: , , , ,
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Published on: August 25, 2014
A Mullah Nasruddin / Nasreddin Hoca story

 

The Prophet’s Traditions

Mullah Nasruddin
Mullah Nasruddin

When one of young Nasruddin’s brothers died, his mother told him, “Go now and buy a shroud, and some balm!”

However, the boy replied, “I won’t go — send someone else!”

She asked him why he would not go. He said, “I’m afraid I’ll miss the funeral!”

 

Excerpted from

Extraordinary Adventures of Mullah Nasruddin
by Ron J. Suresha

forthcoming November 2014 from Lethe Press

 

 


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