Which Came First?
As Nasruddin entered the teahouse, Ali said, “Here is Nasruddin. Let us see him address a difficult philosophical question.”
“But Nasruddin knows only about donkeys!” retorted Musa the camel seller.
“There is indeed philosophy in donkeys, my friends,” Nasruddin said as Ali brought him a steaming cup of sweet tea. “Go ahead, try me.”
“Okay then,” said Abdul the baker, “answer us this one: Which came first, nosebags or donkeys?”
“Simple. Nosebags, of course.”
“Nosebags, Nasruddin‽ Don’t be ridiculous!” said Abdul. “It’s plainly obvious that donkeys came first.”
“Well, then, prove it,” said Nasruddin. “What is your proof that donkeys prëexisted nosebags?”
“Well, for one thing, you must admit that a donkey can recognize a nosebag — but a nosebag cannot recognize a donkey.”
“I take it, then,” said Nasruddin sipping his tea, “that you have it on the assurance of a good many nosebags that they have never seen a donkey‽”
Your Daily Nasruddin
This and the preceding story, “A Donkey and Its Nosebag” look at the donkey-and-nosebag origin issue from two different angles.
Guilt by Association
Guilt by Association
Excerpted from The Uncommon Sense of the Immortal Mullah Nasruddin: Stories, Jests, and Donkey Tales of the Beloved Persian Folk Hero
There are a handful of stories about the loss of Karakacan, Nasruddin’s beloved little grey donkey. She’s often described as old, feeble, and resistant, and seems to lose her way much more often than, say, my donkey, if I had one. Still the old burro has the same sort of indomitable spirit as Nasruddin, always seeming to return just in time for the next story.
Nasruddin settles the question among a number of conflicting opinions among his neighbors and fellow villagers in the community. He almost always gets the last word!