The riddle

A Mullah Nasruddin / Nasreddin Hoca story

The Riddle

Mullah Nasruddin
Mullah Nasruddin

One day, Mullah Nasruddin posed this riddle to the chai shop wags: “Who has entered, come out, and will enter again; entered, come out, and will not enter again; not yet entered, and will enter; and not yet entered, and will not enter?”

Everyone was dumbfounded.

“Here are the answers: Adam and Eve; Satan; the Muslims; and the infidels,” said the Mullah.

 

Excerpted from the forthcoming Lethe Press book by Ron J. Suresha,

Extraordinary Adventures of Mullah Nasruddin, by Ron J. Suresha

 

 


Right in front of his nose

A Mullah Nasruddin / Nasreddin Hoca story

Right in front of his nose

Mullah Nasruddin
Mullah Nasruddin

One day, Mullah Nasruddin, who was visiting his friend Jalal in Konya for a few days, was chewing gum and chatting with his host when Jalal’s wife invited him to join the family for dinner. So Nasruddin sat down at the table, took the wad of gum out of his mouth and stuck it on his nose, before he tucked in.

Jalal asked, “Mullah, can you please explain to me why you have placed your gum on your nose?”

Nasruddin replied, “Poor people always have to keep their property right before their eyes!”

 

Excerpted from the forthcoming Lethe Press book by Ron J. Suresha,

Extraordinary Adventures of Mullah Nasruddin, by Ron J. Suresha

 

 


Middle of the mat

A Mullah Nasruddin / Nasreddin Hoca story

Middle of the mat

Mullah Nasruddin
Mullah Nasruddin

One day, Mullah Nasruddin was traveling with two fellows. The two men were friends and said to the Mullah, “We want to buy a mat and a blanket.”

Mullah said to them, “I’ll buy the mat and share it with you, but you must agree that I will only sleep in the middle of the mat. Also, I will not buy the blanket with you.” And he paid the other two for his share of the mat.

They could not obtain the mat without the Mullah’s contribution, so they agreed, thinking they would not share the blanket with Nasruddin. So the three men bought the mat and the other two bought the blanket.

Nasruddin laid himself in the middle of the mat and went to sleep. Now, if the other two wanted to sleep on it, they would have to lie down on either side of him. Then they realized that they could not tear the blanket so that each man could have his own. Thus Nasruddin got to enjoy the blanket without paying for it.

 

Excerpted from the forthcoming Lethe Press book by Ron J. Suresha,

Extraordinary Adventures of Mullah Nasruddin, by Ron J. Suresha

 

Lucky Pierre, always in the middle.


No translation

A Mullah Nasruddin / Nasreddin Hoca story

No translation

Mullah Nasruddin
Mullah Nasruddin

One day, the Mullah was sent on an important and delicate diplomatic mission to Kurdistan with the ambassador and a translator. Once in Kurdistan, the Kurdish leaders were preparing a feast and, through the interpreter, invited them.

So they put on their finery and went to the dining hall and everything was going well. But in the middle at the formal banquet, just as the Kurdish leader was about to speak, Nasruddin suddenly let out a loud fart.

The head of the embassy was completely embarrassed and said, “You farted, Nasruddin, and have thus brought shame on Turkey!”

Nasruddin only smiled and replied, “But these are all Kurds here! How in the world would they understand a Turkish fart?”

 

Excerpted from the forthcoming Lethe Press book by Ron J. Suresha,

Extraordinary Adventures of Mullah Nasruddin, by Ron J. Suresha

 

Is there a universal language? The answer is blowin’ in the wind.


One house is plenty

A Mullah Nasruddin / Nasreddin Hoca story

One house is plenty

Mullah Nasruddin
Mullah Nasruddin

One day, Nasruddin’s wife Fatima went to listen to the sermon at the mosque. When she came home, Mullah said to her, “Fatima, tell me: what did the preacher say today?”

She replied, “The preacher declared that, ‘Whoever shall perform his marital duty to his wife, he manifests God, the Almighty, in His grace, and makes his home a Paradise!”

When they both went to bed, the Mullah declared, “Come! Let us build ourselves a house filled with God’s grace,” and they coupled.

Shortly afterward, Nasruddin rolled off his wife. Fatima implored him to continue, “Wait, Mullah, you’ve just built a house for you. Hurry up, build me one!”

But Nasruddin replied, “It is easy enough for me to build you a house of your own. But I fear that you will then eventually invite your father and your mother to live there, and then finally, you’ll let all of your relatives into our house, which will make the architect indignant. Please, do not grieve. One house between the two of us is plenty!”

Excerpted from the forthcoming Lethe Press book by Ron J. Suresha,

Extraordinary Adventures of Mullah Nasruddin, by Ron J. Suresha

 

 


Mouth wide shut

A Mullah Nasruddin / Nasreddin Hoca story

Mouth wide shut

Mullah Nasruddin
Mullah Nasruddin

One day, during a meeting of the village elders, one of the speakers talked uninterrupted for several hours, not letting anyone else get a word in edgewise. Nasruddin, sitting in the corner listening, was yawning continuously throughout the fellow’s pontifications.

When the fellow finally finished at the close of the meeting, one of Nasruddin’s friends turned to him and said, Well, isn’t that a shame! We did not have the pleasure of hearing our dear Mullah talk tonight. You haven’t opened your mouth once.”

“Are you kidding me?” asked the Mullah. “I was so bored that my jaw is now almost broke from yawning so much.”

 

Excerpted from the forthcoming
Extraordinary Adventures of Mullah Nasruddin, by Ron J. Suresha

 


Free haircut

A Mullah Nasruddin / Nasreddin Hoca story

Free haircut

Mullah Nasruddin
Mullah Nasruddin

One day, Nasruddin entered a barbershop, followed by a young boy. Nasruddin told the barber that he was in a hurry and wanted to get his haircut first. The barber readily agreed and proceeded to give Nasruddin a fine haircut and beard trim. Nasruddin checked his hair, replaced his turban, told the barber he would be back soon, and left.

The boy hopped into the barber chair, and the barber cut the boy’s hair. After he was done, the boy got out of the chair and started to leave. The barber stopped him and said, “But where is your father? He said he’d be right back, and now he’s late.”

“Father?” said the boy. “That man’s not my father. He’s just some guy I met on the street outside who told me to come in with him for a free haircut!”

 

Excerpted from the forthcoming
Extraordinary Adventures of Mullah Nasruddin, by Ron J. Suresha

 

You know what they say about assumptions.

Since most stories depict the Mullah as bald, this story must have taken place before it all fell out. He was a rascal, even then.

Exactly what I would have done

A Mullah Nasruddin / Nasreddin Hoca story

Exactly what I would have done

Mullah Nasruddin
Mullah Nasruddin

When Nasruddin was newly married, just on the third night, Nasruddin dreamt that he was swimming deep in a vast ocean. It was a happy dream until he woke up to realize that he’d wet the bed.

Of course, he was embarrassed but was unsure quite how to tell his wife, Fatima, snoring fast asleep next to him. So Nasruddin arranged his blanket partly over the damp spot and then lay back down, pretending to be asleep.

After a minute, he bolted upright with a shout, “Arghhh! Dear Allah, save me!”

Fatima awoke and turned her head to look at her husband. “What’s the matter, Nasruddin?”

The trembling and visibly shaken Mullah replied, “Fatima! Wife, you have no idea what sort of horrifying nightmare I’ve just had!”

She asked, “What did you dream?”

“I saw three tall minarets, one set right above the next, and atop the third minaret was an egg, and on that egg was a needle, and on that needle balanced a covered table, and at that table I had to eat my dinner!”

Fatima gasped, “God! How terrifying! What a predicament! My poor husband!”

Nasruddin replied calmly, “You can’t imagine how shocked I was!”

Fatima sympathized, “I can only imagine, dear husband. You must have been frightened beyond belief. Out of sheer fear, I would have soiled the bed, or worse!”

“Indeed,” Nasruddin readily agreed, “that is exactly what I would’ve done myself!”

Excerpted from the forthcoming Extraordinary Adventures of Mullah Nasruddin, by Ron J. Suresha

 

It’s terrifying to imagine the heights to which some people will go will to cover their infantile behavior.

A stupid beard

A Mullah Nasruddin story

A Stupid Beard

Mullah Nasruddin
Mullah Nasruddin

One day the imam told Nasruddin, “Anyone who wears a beard longer than his fist is stupid.”

When the Mullah returned home, he checked himself in the mirror and realized that his beard was quite a bit longer than his fist. He took a lit candle and was intending to burn off only an inch or so of the offending hairs — just the part that was hanging below his fist.

Whoosh! In a flash, the beard went up in flames and he could not put it out before he singed his entire face. Now Nasruddin’s face looked like the underside of a plucked and roasted chicken.

The next day, Nasruddin went to see the imam and said, “What you told me yesterday was completely correct. A man with a long beard possesses short wisdom.”

“Idiot! I meant you should use a pair of scissors or a razor. Why in Allah’s name did you burn off your beard?”

“Well, I didn’t have either of those things, but I had some fire on hand. I admit that I lost my beard and burned my chin from ear to ear, but at least now I am free of being stupid.”

Excerpted from the forthcoming Extraordinary Adventures of Mullah Nasruddin, by Ron J. Suresha

 

If beards could think, they probably would decide not to set themselves on fire.

Only two sides of the river

A Mullah Nasruddin story

Only two sides of the river

Mullah Nasruddin
Mullah Nasruddin

One sunny afternoon Mullah Nasruddin was sitting quietly on a riverbank near Lake Aksehir when someone approached the river from the opposite side. After looking around a bit, the fellow noticed Nasreddin and shouted out, “Hey there! Excuse me — please tell me, how do I get across?”

Without getting up, Nasruddin shouted back, “You are across!”

 

Excerpted from the forthcoming Extraordinary Adventures of Mullah Nasruddin, by Ron J. Suresha

 

Most times, you’re already right where you need to be, but just don’t recognize it.

 

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