Lord, leave me alone

April 1, 2017 by rjs

A Mullah Nasruddin / Nasreddin Hoca story Lord, leave me alone Nasruddin’s mother, Leyla, thought her young son was basically a lost cause. She didn’t know what to do with him, so as a last resort she hired him as an errand boy to an innkeeper. The innkeeper instructed him, “Okay kid, go to the shore and wash out this old wineskin. But do it properly; otherwise, you will be punished!” So Nasruddin took the wineskin to the sea. And there he washed the wineskin, for all his worth, and continued cleaning it out through the long morning. By…

From the book Extraordinary Adventures

Big fish, little fish

August 1, 2016August 1, 2016 by rjs

A Mullah Nasruddin / Nasreddin Hoca story Big fish, little fish One day, young Nasruddin’s mother, Leyla, was cooking and speaking to her husband, Yousef, as the child watched them unseen through a hidden crack in the door. Leyla said, “Listen, my husband, I have prepared both a large fish and a small fish. We will hide the big fish under the wooden bench and serve the little one on the table to eat.” Yousef understood. “So, when the boy then has eaten and gone to bed, we will take out the big fish and eat it all ourselves.”…

From the book Extraordinary Adventures

A threat of justice

August 3, 2015 by rjs

A Mullah Nasruddin / Nasreddin Hoca story A threat of justice Once when Nasruddin was serving as a judge, two men presented their case to him. The first one said, “Your honor, I loaned this man fifty silver coins a year ago and now he won’t pay me back.” Nasruddin asked the second man, “Is this correct?” “No, your honor,” the fellow answered blankly. The Mullah turned to the plaintiff and said, “There is no debt.” “Excuse me, your Honor, but by answering just once like this, would you relieve this man of his debt to me‽” “All right,…

From the book Extraordinary Adventures

Hands are full

July 27, 2015July 27, 2015 by rjs

A Mullah Nasruddin / Nasreddin Hoca story Hands are full Once, Nasruddin went on a long trip, and Fatima insisted that he carry a weapon, so he left heavily armed. In one hand he held a huge sword, and in the other he clenched a pistol. Unfortunately, on the road the Mullah encountered a thief who stopped and robbed him. Not even the Mullah’s pants were left him. When he returned home and told Fatima what had happened to him, she exclaimed, “Dolt! You were armed to the teeth! Why in God’s name did you not do anything to…

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

Proxy Protector

July 13, 2015July 12, 2015 by rjs

A Mullah Nasruddin / Nasreddin Hoca story Proxy Protector Mullah Nasruddin was traveling one day with his old friend Hussein. When night fell, they stopped at a crossroads. Hoping to spend the night alone with his donkey, Nasruddin told Hussein, “It’s been delightful but tonight I am planning to spend the night here under the starry sky. You need not stay with me if you want to travel on. Your town is not too far from here.” “What are you talking about, Nasruddin‽ It’s still at least a half-day’s walk. I insist on keeping you company, and I assure…

From the book Extraordinary Adventures

The power of chalk

May 25, 2015 by rjs

A Mullah Nasruddin / Nasreddin Hoca story In memory of our fallen heroes: those who threw themselves under the chalklines because someone else was making up the rules of play in the insane asylum. The power of chalk Once, Mullah Nasruddin was chalking a political slogan on the wall of a building in Konya when the corrupt local constable caught him and dragged him into jail. His queer appearance and illogical behavior led to his being certified insane, and so he was transferred to the regional mental asylum. The asylum, of course, was filled with every sort of depraved and…

From the book Extraordinary Adventures

Preface to Extraordinary Adventures, part 2

May 18, 2015May 18, 2015 by rjs

Preface, part 2 An excerpt from Extraordinary Adventures of Mullah Nasruddin by Ron J. Suresha Concluded from previous week While researching the topic of taboo humor I discovered, in The Horn Book by folklore and humor scholar Gershon Legman, his stark condemnation of folk story and joke collections with all the bawdy or “objectionable” material expunged, which he calls “fakelore.” Despite my earnest efforts to locate such risqué stories with limited success, I naturally cringed at the implication that I had unwittingly committed some sort of literary and folkloric misdeed by excluding the naughty and nasty tales of my old…

From the book Extraordinary Adventures

Preface to Extraordinary Adventures, excerpt 1

May 11, 2015 by rjs

Preface, part 1 An excerpt from Extraordinary Adventures of Mullah Nasruddin by Ron J. Suresha Coming from an ethnically diverse family with strong oral and literary folklore traditions, I became well acquainted early on with the stories of the famous Turkish folk character, Mullah Nasruddin; a simple man of renowned humor and inscrutable wisdom, known for more than eight centuries in his native land as Nasreddin Hoca. Sometimes my mother would tell a joke or story about the “wise fool” Mulla Nasaruddin (as he is called in Jewish folklore), usually to make a point about my contrary behavior. She would…

From the book Extraordinary Adventures

Forewarning, from Extraordinary Adventures of Mullah Nasruddin

April 30, 2015April 30, 2015 by rjs

Forewarning From Extraordinary Adventures of Mullah Nasruddin As in my first collection of Nasreddin Hoca folklore, The Uncommon Sense of the Immortal Mullah Nasruddin, every single story included in its sequel, Extraordinary Adventures of Mullah Nasruddin, is completely authentic, taken from published works listed in the Sources. That said, the adult reader is hereby warned that taboo topics of tales within this collection include: bestiality, animal cruelty, scatology, ethnic prejudice, racism, sexism, domestic abuse, marital infidelity, bigamy, homosexuality / bisexuality, sodomy, pederasty, pedophilia, incest, blasphemy, apostasy, treason, violence, torture, homicide, and war. Readers are cautioned of the inappropriateness of…