Some Famous Stories Of Nasreddin Hodja

The Criticism Of Men

Hodja and his son went on a journey once. Hodja preferred that his
son ride the donkey and that he himself go on foot. On the way they
met some people who said:

-Look at that healthy young boy! That

is today's youth for you. They have
no respect for elders. He rides on
the donkey and makes his poor father
walk!

When they had passed by these

people the boy felt very ashamed
and insisted that he walk and his
father ride the donkey. So Hodja
mounted the donkey and the boy
walked at his side. A little later they
met some other people who said:

-Well, look at that! That poor little boy has to walk while his father
rides the donkey.

After they had passed by these people, Hodja told his son:

-The best thing to do is for both of us to walk. Then no one can

complain.

So they continued on their journey, both of them walking. A little

ways down the road they met some others who said:

-Just take a look at those fools. Both of them are walking under this
hot sun and neither of them are riding the donkey!
Hodja turned to his son and said:

-That just goes to show how hard it is to escape the opinions of men.

Everyone Who Sees The Light

Hodja's wife was pregnant. One night, her labor pains started and
Hodja called the neighbours and the midwife. Soon they called out
from his wife's room and said, "Hodja! You have a son!"

He was very happy. A few minutes later the midwife called out
again,

"Hodja! You also have a girl."

After a little while, she called out again,

"Hodja! You have another girl!"

Hodja, who had been waiting in front of his wife's room, rushed into
the room and bleww off the candle.

"What are you doing?" asked the surprised women.

"Well! Everyone who sees the light wants to come out. What else
can I do?" he answered.

Forty Year Old Vinegar

His neighbour asked Hodja,

"Do you have some forty-year old vinegar?"

"I have," answered Hodja.

"Would you give me some? I need it to prepare a medication", said

the man.

"No, I won't," replied Hodja. "If I had given some to everybody who
asked for it, would I have it for forty years!".

Mortal's Way
 One day four boys approached Hodja and gave
him a bagful of walnuts.

"Hodja, we can't divide these walnuts among us

evenly. So would you help us, please?"

Hodja asked, "Do you want God's way of

distribution or mortal's way?"

"God's way" the children answered.

Hodja opened the bag and gave two handfuls of walnuts to one child,
one handful to the other, only two walnuts to the third child and none
to the fourth.

"What kind of distribution is this?" the children asked baffled.

"Well, this is God's way," he answered. "He gives some people a

lot, some people a little and nothing to others. If you had asked for
mortal's way I would have given the same amount to everybody."

How A Donkey Reads

During a conversation with Tamerlane, Hodja started bragging about

his donkey.

"It is so smart that I can teach it even how to read, "he said.

"Then go ahead and teach it reading. I give you 3 months.,"

Tamerlane ordered.

Hodja went home and began to train his donkey. He put its feed
between the pages of a big book and taught it to turn the pages by its
tongue to find its feed. Three days before the three month period was
over, he stopped feeding it.

When he took his donkey to Tamerlane, he asked for a big book and
put it in front of the donkey. The hungry animal turned the pages of the
book one by one with its tongue and when it couldn't find any feed
between the pages it started braying.

Tamerlane watched the donkey closely and then said,

"This is sure a strange way of reading!"

Hodja remarked,

"But this is how a donkey reads."

HEAVY COAT
One night the people heard a frightful noise from the Hodja's house.
They asked in the morning:
What was that noise?
Oh, my coat fell downstairs.
Can a coat make such a noise?,
If you were in it, like me, yes!

HEN
The Hodja had lost one of his hens. He searched it for a while, but it
was nowhere. Then he took a small peace of black cloth and put it
around the neck of another hen. People asked him:
Hodja, what is this?
This hen is mourning for its mother !!!

HODJA AND THE GOD

The Hodja was travelling from a long way away, he got very tired
and decided to rest. Then he prayed:
Dear God, he said. Please send me a donkey !
A few minutes later, he saw a man riding on a horse and leading a
young donkey.
The man came nearer, stopped beside him and shouted:
You, leprous man! Instead of starving there, come on carry the
donkey, it is tired.
Although the Hodja said, that he was also tired, the tyrannical man
beat him with a stick and so the poor Hodja took the donkey on his
shoulders.

Then the man on the horse proceeded on his way. Everytime the
Hodja slowed down, the man beat him and after many miserable
hours, they reached the town, where the man let the Hodja go, without
thanking him. Then the Hodja fall down on the earth and slept many
hours. When he awakened he murmured
Oh, God! What happened? Was it that I couldn't explain, or that you
couldn't understand?

HODJA'S DREAM
In his dream some people gave the Hodja nine gold coins, but Hodja
wanted ten.-So he refused them. Suddenly he awoke and saw that his
hands were empty. So he quickly closed his eyes again and said: It's
okay, I'll take the nine coins.

HODJA'S WIFE AND HIS DONKEY

When his wife died, the Hodja became very sorry, but he mourned for
her only a few days.
After a while his donkey died and he was even more sorrowful and
mourned for him many months.
People asked him why and he answered:
When my wife died, they all said, they could find a younger and
better one for me, but when my donkey died, nobody offered the same
service.

HODJA'S WRITING

One day a man asked the Hodja to write a letter for him.
Where will the letter go? the Hodja asked.
To Baghdad, said the man.
I cannot go to there, the Hodja told him.
But you don't have to go. The letter will go there, said the man and the
Hodja explained:
Nobody can read what I write. Therefore I must go there to read it.

IF I KNEW
One day the donkey of the Hodja got stolen. The Hodja began to
search it. While searching, he was shouting. The judge who saw that,
asked him Who has stolen your donkey, and how?
The Hodja became very angry and said: If I knew the answer, my
donkey wouldn't have been stolen!
IF IT IS A LIE
One day a friend of the Hodja asked him to count as a witness and
said to him:
If the judge asks you 'did this man give away all the gold coins' you
can tell him that I did.

They appeared before the judge and the Hodja gave evidence that the
man had indeed given away all the 'silver' coins.
The judge accepted this and they were dismissed.

Outside the friend said to the Hodja:

Hodja Effendi, why did you say 'silver' instead of 'gold'?
If it is a lie, answered the Hodja, what does it matter, what it is?

IMMIGRANT

One day, a thief came to the house of the Hodja and took everything
he had except the blanket which covered him.
When the Hodja saw the thief carrying all his things away, he put his
blanket over his shoulders and followed him.

When the thief arrived at his own house, he turned back and saw the
Hodja.
What are you doing here? he asked.
What am I doing here, said the Hodja, you ask a thing like that? Didn't
we move to this house?

JESUS IN HEAVEN
In a village where the Hodja was giving a speech, he told the people
assembled there about Jesus, how he lived in the heavens. One old
woman was very curious and asked the Hodja, what this Jesus ate in
Heaven.

Now the Hodja had been in the village for almost a month, and no-
one had offered him any food, and because of this he was rather
angry. So he replied:

You, silly woman, why do you ask what Jesus eats in heaven when
you cannot remember to ask what the poor Hodja Nasreddin eats on
the earth!
LIGHT OF THE WORLD
During the birth of his children, the Hodja stood holding a lighted
candle.
The first child was born, and as they were twins, after a while the
second child was also born. Suddenly the Hodja extinguished the
candle. 'Why' asked the attendant relatives. He replied:
Because, while there was light, first child was born, and then another.
Who knows how many more there may be!

MAGIC PRAYER
When the Hodja was in bed, he heard a thief walking on the roof. He
quickly thought of a trick to catch him.

He turned to his wife and said:

One day when I lost the key and when you weren't at home, I said a
prayer held on to the moonlight and jumped into the house from the
roof.

Then he said a short prayer.

The thief, listening to the Hodja believed to these words, so he said a
prayer held on the moonlight and fall into the house. The Hodja
caught him and ordered his wife to bring a rope.
No need, Sir, said the thief lying on the floor As long as you have that
prayer and I have that brain, I cannot escape.

MANY HENS, NO ROOSTER

One day when the Hodja went to the baths, his friends wanted to play
a joke on him. They each took an egg with them and came to the baths.
Hodja Effendi, said one of them. Everyone will say chuck-chuck-
chuck and lay an egg. The one who cannot do this must invite all the
rest to dinner.
The Hodja agreed and they began to put the prepared eggs underneath
them. Then it was Hodja's turn. He shouted: Cock a-doodle-do
What is that? they asked.
Do not so many hens need a rooster? he replied.

MIRACLE OF THE TURBAN (old type of hat)

One day a man brought a letter to the Hodja and said:
Hodja Effendi, please read it to me.,
The Hodja saw that it was written in a foreign language and said:
I cannot read that, it isn't written in Turkish.
The man became angry:
You are a teacher. You should be ashamed of your turban! You
cannot read a letter.
The Hodja put the turban on the head of the man and said:
If the miracle is on the turban, take it and read the letter by yourself.

MISTAKES IN THE BOOKS

At the time of Temur no one was allowed to carry a knife or a gun.
One day the soldiers caught the Hodja with a big knife. The head of
the soldiers shouted:
Don't you know, that you are not allowed to carry a knife!,
But, I use it to scratch out the mistakes in the books.
But why is your knife so big?
Because the mistakes are big!

RIGHT RIDING
When the Hodja was going out with his students, he sat on the donkey
facing the tail. They asked him why and he explained:

As a teacher I must be in front of you. But if I face the front, I cannot

see what you are doing behind me. Therefore, if I sit on the donkey
this way, I can see you all quite easily.

ROASTED GOOSE

One day a man said to the Hodja that he saw a man bringing a roasted
goose.
It doesn't interest me, said the Hodja.
But it was going to your house, said the man.
Then it doesn't interest you, replied the Hodja.

SEARCHING FOR THE HODJA

One day, a man came to Akshehir and wanted to see the Hodja, who
was famous as a great joker.
He saw a man leaning on a wall and asked him if he knew where the
Hodja was.
This man said that he was busy at the moment leaning against the wall
so that it would not fall down, but if the man would do his job he
would go and look for the Hodja and call him.
The man said O.K. and leaned against the wall. He waited and
waited but the other man did not return.
He told some people passing by, of the situation. When he described
the man the people began to laugh and said to him:
Didn't you believe that the Hodja was a joker? That was the Hodja to
whom you spoke.

SHADOW JUDGE
When the Hodja had no job he went to the head-judge and asked for a
job. The head-judge said that all places at the court were full and
there was no place for the Hodja.
Let me be the shadow judge, said the Hodja.
You can send the interesting law suits to me.
The head-judge liked this idea. So the Hodja began to his job, having
a good office to work in.

Every day the Hodja came to his office, put the papers in front of him,
waited until the evening, and went home. He did nothing during this
time.
One day a man came to the head-judge and said of another:
This man was cutting that beat on the wood I said 'hink' and this made
him stronger. Now I want my money.
The head-judge thought and thought, suddenly he remembered that
there was the shadow judge for such lawsuits and sent the men to him
and he listened from behind the door.
The Hodja listened to the man, took the piece of wood and turned to
the wood cutter.
Give me the money you got for this wood cutting. He took it, then let
it fall on the wood and said: You wood cutter, take your money and
go! And you, the 'hink' sayer, take your voice and go!

SILLY RESTAURANT OWNER

When the Hodja was in another village, he got very hungry. He was
walking through the market when he smelled food from a restaurant.
He saw the owner standing at the door. He asked:
Does all this food belong to you?
Yes, said the man.
Really? asked the Hodja.
You silly man, said the Hodja. Why do you stand here, instead of
eating it all?

STRANGE JOB OF THE GOD

The Hodja collected over many years 1000 coins and one day a thief
came and stole the money. The Hodja was very sorry and prayed
every night.
After many days, a man came and gave 1000 coins to the Hodja. The
Hodja asked:
What is this?
The man explained:

I am a sailor and the ship I was on was in perie. The waves lashed
the ship and we were all very frightened. So I said: 'If I return safely
on land, I will give 1000 coins to the Hodja' and here they are.
When the Hodja heard this he said:
Dear God? what a strange job you have. Where did my money go and
from where does it return! What is the use of this?

TAKING A BATH
A man asked the Hodja,
Hodja Effendi, to which side must I turn when bathing in the sea?
The Hodja answered;
To the side where your clothes are.

TIT FOR TAT

When the Hodja was repairing the roof a man called him from below.
What do you want said the Hodja.
Come down for just a minute, he said. I'll tell you something!
The Hodja got down and the man said: Can you lend me some
money?
Come, said the Hodja, for just a minute up above.
The man came with him onto the roof and the Hodja said:
I have no money!
UNEXPERIENCED NIGHTINGALE
One day the Hodja wanted to eat peaches and he saw a garden full of
peach trees. So he climbed up the tree and began to eat them, one
after the other.
But the Hodja was an unlucky man. While he was eating with great
appetite, the owner of the garden came. The Hodja hid behind the
branches, but the man heard something moving and shouted:
Who is there?
The Hodja was afraid and sang like a nightingale. The man shouted:
You, come down, a nightingale doesn't sing like that!
What didn't you like?, shouted the Hodja. Can an inexperienced
nightingale sing better than this?

WAY OF THE ROOSTER

One day the Hodja purchased some hens and a rooster and on the way
to Akshehir he released the rooster to lead the hens home. But of
course, when the Hodja freed them, they all fled. But he caught the
rooster, gave it a beating and cried:
You silly bird, you know when it is morning because you are crow,
why don't you know the way to Akshehir?

WHAT DOES THE HODJA THINK

One day the Hodja saw a garden and entered. There he saw many
kinds of fruits and began to put them in his bag. At this moment the
owner of the garden arrived and cried:
What are you doing there?
You know the storm we had yesterday, said the Hodja. It blew me
here.
And who broke off this fruit?
I wanted to hold on to the branches and they fell down.
And who put this fruit in the bag?
I was just thinking of that, said the Hodja. Come on, we'll think
together!

WHAT TEMUR DOES NOT KNOW

In the time of Temur, he was very strict and everyone committing a
crime was beaten.
One day the Hodja was with him. Temur was shouting.
Beat this man 700 times!, This one 1000 times!, This one 1200
times!, This one 1500 times!
Then the Hodja spoke: Dear Temur, do you know everything?,
Of course, shouted Temur angrily.
No, said the Hodja. Here is something which you don't know. It is the
meaning of the number 1500 or the taste of the stick.

WHERE THE COFFIN GOES

One day one of the men of Akshehir died. His wife was crying.
Oh, my husband! Where have you gone? There is no light, there is no
food, there is nothing!
When the Hodja heard this, he ran home and said to his wife.
My wife! Open the door! The coffin is coming to our house!

WHERE TO GO
The people asked the Hodja,
Dear Hodja, tell us, where should we go in a funeral procession, in
front, at the back, or at the side?
The Hodja answered, It doesn't matter where you go, as long as you
don't go in the coffin.

WHOM DO YOU BELIEVE?

One day, a friend of the Hodja came to him and asked if he could
borrow his donkey for two hours to go to the town. The Hodja, not
really wanting to lend his donkey, thought for a while and then said:
Dear friend, I would like to help you but I have lent my donkey to
another friend
The man was turning to leave when he heard the donkey, who was in
the stable, bray. The braying became louder and louder. Then the man
turned to the Hodja with great anger and shouted:
You, Hodja, you have cheated me!
The Hodja, in turn, was very angry and shouted back: You silly man,
haven't you any sense, whom do you believe, me or the donkey.

WILL YOU OR WON'T YOU

One day, the Hodja became very angry with Sultan Temur, a strict
ruler, who had arrived in Akshehir with his powerful army. He went
to him and asked in an angry and threatening way:
Tell me, Temur, will you take your army and go away from Akshehir
or not?
The Sultan was astonished and wanted to know what he meant.
No comment, said the Hodja. Tell me, will you take your army and go
away from Akshehir or not; If not, I know what to do!
Now the Sultan became very angry and said: If I don't, what will you
do then?
The Hodja replied: What will I do? I'll take the people of the town
and we'll go away!

WRONG WAY
When the Hodja was going somewhere, he got on his donkey with his
back facing to front.
Hodja Effendi, the people said. You are sitting on your donkey the
wrong way round.
No, he said. It's just that the donkey is standing the wrong way round.

YAWNING
One day, the Hodja went to another village. Nobody offered him
something to eat, instead they asked him:
"Hodja, why do people yawn?
There are two reasons: One of them is tiredness, the other is hunger.
After yawning for a while he finished up his words:
I'm not tired!

YOUTH OF THE HODJA

One day the Hodja wanted to get on his horse but he couldn't reach
his aim.
Oh, what a shame, he said aloud. That I am not young as I was in the
old days.
Then he said in a whisper which was heard only by himself:
I know how you were in your youth!

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