Ungrateful son of a donkey, part 2

September 26, 2016October 2, 2016 by rjs

A Mullah Nasruddin / Nasreddin Hoca story Ungrateful son of a donkey, part 2 [Continued from last week] * * * So Nasruddin traveled to see the Sultan in the great city of Woden, there was a very important king. Mullah entered the palace and came to the royal assembly. He saw the king, bowed, and sat down among the people. Then he looked at the king, and whispered aloud, “Ahh, this is my son!” Then he turned to other courtiers nearby, and said again, “Ahh, this is my son!” A few persons heard and reacted with shock.…

From the book Extraordinary Adventures

Ungrateful son of a donkey, part 1

September 19, 2016 by rjs

A Mullah Nasruddin / Nasreddin Hoca story Ungrateful son of a donkey One day, the Mullah’s donkey, Karakacan, gave birth to a foal. Believing himself the father, Mullah thought, Since now I have two donkeys, I shall send my younger son to a teacher to instruct him, so he will be taught, he will learn to read, and he will come to teach me. So Nasruddin took the young donkey to the schoolteacher, Halil, and told him, “This, my son, wants to be educated. Please tutor him so that he will be less a fool than me.” Halil replied in astonishment, “What are you…

From the book Extraordinary Adventures

Small consolation

July 20, 2015July 20, 2015 by rjs

A Mullah Nasruddin / Nasreddin Hoca story Small consolation One day as Nasruddin was traveling, he met on the road an elderly Turkman who halted him and asked, “Tell me, sir, are you a mullah?” Nasruddin answered, “Yes, as it so happens, I am.” The fellow clasped his hands and implored him, “Our small tribe has no imam. Please come with me to our village, and you can serve our tribe as our spiritual leader.” Nasruddin agreed, and so the men continued on their journey. After they had walked for hours, they came to a crossroads, where they happened…

From the book Extraordinary Adventures

My regular turban

December 1, 2014 by rjs

A Mullah Nasruddin / Nasreddin Hoca story My regular turban As the vicious despot Tamerlane and his troops approached the town in which Nasruddin lived, a group of village elders came to Nasruddin’s house and awoke him, terrified. The Mullah sleepily answered the door, and the townspeople implored him to quickly do something to stop the tyrant from marching through and rampaging in Akşehir. Immediately Nasruddin took his bedsheets and wrapped them around his nearly bald head. When he finished, it looked like a turban as big as a wheel. Then, naked except for the turban, he mounted his…

From the book Extraordinary Adventures

Stuck in the mud

November 17, 2014November 16, 2014 by rjs

A Mullah Nasruddin / Nasreddin Hoca story Stuck in the mud One day, Nasruddin came home and said to Fatima, “My dear, why don’t you cook a nice pilaf. I feel very good today. Let’s have a nice evening.” Fatima made a lovely pilaf for dinner, which they enjoyed greatly. After they cleaned up and were getting ready for bed, there was a knock at the door. Fatima answered it and discovered her neighbor, Setare, standing there, anxious to gossip about the news of the day. “Our donkey had twins this morning,” shared Setare, walking right in. “But one…

From the book Uncommon Sense

A Perfectly Good Reason to Fall

January 28, 2013February 1, 2013 by rjs

A Perfectly Good Reason to Fall . . . continued from previous entry. . . By the time the donkey seemed to be slowing down, Nasruddin’s turban was nearly dragging the ground, and he knew he would lose it if he didn’t try to catch it from slipping off his head. So cautiously Nasruddin took one hand off the donkey and, as he was trying to grab the end of his turban, he lost his balance and tumbled off to the left, landing with a resounding crash right into a market stand of walnuts, scattering the nuts for yards around.…

From the book Uncommon Sense

Don’t Ask Me — Ask the Donkey

January 26, 2013January 26, 2013 by rjs

Don’t Ask Me — Ask the Donkey . . . continued from previous entry. . . Nasruddin rode his little grey donkey, Karakacan, sitting backward as usual, facing his students. As he was about to make a point, suddenly there was a series of loud pops and bangs — one of the boys, Mehmet, had set off firecrackers! The frightened donkey bolted with Nasruddin clinging to its backside and the kids running behind them, laughing and yelling. As the terrorized donkey galloped into the village, the Mullah held on for dear life. His turban came undone, but he dare not…

From the book Uncommon Sense

Why Nasruddin Rode His Donkey Backward

January 23, 2013January 26, 2013 by rjs

Why Nasruddin Rode His Donkey Backward One morning, Nasruddin was leading his donkey out from the stable, on his way to teach at the school, for that is another one of the things that Nasruddin did for work in those days. Seeing Nasruddin appear on the street, some young students approached him to ask whether they might instruct them and hear their lessons. Nasruddin readily agreed, and invited them to the schoolhouse. Nasruddin mounted his donkey from the left, put his right foot in the stirrup, and heaved himself up. Naturally this put him facing backward toward the ass’s rear.…

From the book Uncommon Sense

A donkey wholesaler, or a donkey retailer?

January 15, 2013January 15, 2013 by rjs

A Donkey Wholesaler, or a Donkey Retailer? Every Friday on market day, Nasruddin arrived at market with an excellent donkey, which he sold almost immediately, for his prices were far below the usual asking price. One day Musa approached him, “I cannot for the life of me understand how you do it, Nasruddin. I sell my animals at the lowest possible price. My servants force farmers to give me fodder free. My slaves look after my donkeys without wages. And yet I cannot match your prices. How do you do it?” “Simple,” replied Nasruddin. “You steal fodder and labor. I…

From the book Uncommon Sense

Peace Follows Renunciation?

January 14, 2013January 14, 2013 by rjs

Peace Follows Renunciation? A gnarly band of bandits came upon an abandoned monastery in the countryside and decided to inhabit the place. Hoping to cash in on the Sufi reputation as respected teachers of immense insight, they put on stolen white tablecloths, intending to pose as dervishes in order to catch, confuse, and rob hapless travelers. The group began to beat a rhythmic dirge that was sure to catch the attention of some hapless sucker. As it so happened, the Mullah and his son were traveling in the countryside at that time and came across the converted dervish retreat center.…