Nasruddin

Missive #328 Published 9 August 2024

47. WHAT THE QUARREL WAS ABOUT

Nasruddin and his wife awoke to the sound of men quarreling outside. The shouting got louder and louder.

“I’ll go see what they are quarreling about,” said Nasruddin.

He then lit a lamp and went downstairs.

His wife heard him open the front door. Almost immediately, the shouting stopped. She wondered what Nasruddin had said to stop the quarrel so quickly.

“What happened?” she asked when he came back to bed.

“When I opened the door, one of them grabbed my lamp, and then they both ran off,” Nasruddin replied. “I suppose they must have been quarreling about my lamp!”

Missive #323 Published 2 August 2024

46. NASRUDDIN’S SENSE OF ECONOMY

Nasruddin was acting even more strangely than usual. He had put a patch over one eye and stuffed cotton in one nostril and in one ear. He had also tied one arm behind his back and was hopping on just one leg.

“Nasruddin!” shouted his wife. “Are you alright? What’s happened to you?”

“I’m fine!” replied Nasruddin. “I was just thinking that since I have two eyes and two ears and two nostrils, plus two arms and two legs, I should save one of each for future use. That way, I won’t use them both up at the same time.”

Missive #318 Published 26 July 2024

45. NASRUDDIN IN THE DARK

Night had come on quickly, and Nasruddin and his wife had forgotten to light a candle. Thus, they found themselves sitting in their house in the dark.

“It’s dark, husband,” Nasruddin’s wife said to him. “We need to light a candle.”

“I agree!” said Nasruddin. “It’s completely dark. I can’t see a thing!”

“Well, I’m sure there’s a candle over there on the table to your left. Hand me the candle and I’ll light it.”

“I don’t think that will work,” said Nasruddin. “How do you expect me to tell my left from my right in the dark like this?”

Missive #314 Published 19 July 2024

44. NASRUDDIN THE PROUD FATHER

A friend noticed him and said, “Nasruddin! Wait a moment and talk! I haven’t seen you in such a long time.”

“I really don’t have time to stop and talk,” Nasruddin explained. “I went out to do the shopping, and now I need to hurry home.”

“Why the rush?”

“My wife just had a baby!” Nasruddin said proudly.

“What wonderful news!” replied his friend. “I’m very glad for you. And is it a boy or a girl?”

Nasruddin stared at him in amazement. “Yes, it is!” he answered. “But how did you know?”

Missive #309 Published 12 July 2024

43. NASRUDDIN DIGS A HOLE

Nasruddin’s neighbor saw him digging a deep hole in the yard. Nasruddin was barely visible but his neighbor could see shovelfuls of earth flying up out of the hole.

“Nasruddin!” he shouted. “What are you digging that hole for?”

Nasruddin clambered up out of the hole. “I need a place to bury all the rubbish left over from building the new barn.”

“And what are you going to do with this heap of earth from the hole you’re digging here now?”

Nasruddin paused and scratched his head. “I hadn’t thought about that. I suppose I’ll have to dig another hole!”

Missive #304 Published 5 July 2024

42. NASRUDDIN THE OPTIMIST

Nasruddin’s neighbor saw him kneeling by the side of the lake, spooning something into the water. He was used to Nasruddin behaving strangely, but this was unusual even for Nasruddin. He decided to go investigate and see what Nasruddin was doing.

As the neighbor got closer, he saw that Nasruddin was spooning yogurt into the lake.

“Why are you spooning yogurt into the lake?” asked the neighbor.

“It’s starter!” Nasruddin explained. “I am hoping to turn the whole lake into yogurt.”
“But that’s impossible!” said his neighbor.
“Yes, it’s impossible,” admitted Nasruddin. “But just imagine how wonderful it would be!”

Missive #290 Published 7 June 2024

38. NASRUDDIN AND THE EAGLE

Nasruddin was chopping wood one day, working up quite a sweat. Finally he got so hot that he took off his turban and hung it carefully on a tree branch.

Then, without warning, an enormous eagle came swooping down from the sky and snatched Nasruddin’s turban.

“Hey, that bird took my turban!” Nasruddin shouted as the eagle soared away up into the sky.

Then he sighed. “Well, I wish he hadn’t taken my turban, but I suppose it’s all for the best. If I hadn’t taken off my turban just in time, the eagle would have carried me away too!”