Nasreddin Hodja- The Value of Truth

‘If you want truth’, Nasrudin told a group of Seekers who had come to hear his teachings, ‘you will have to pay for it.’

‘But why should you have to pay for something like truth?’ asked one of the company.

‘Have you noticed’, said Nasrudin, ‘that it is the scarcity of a thing which determines its value?’

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Nasreddin Hodja- The Wife's Name

Nasreddin Hodja and a friend were discussing their wives, when it occurred to the friend that Nasreddin had never mentioned his wife's name.

"What is your wife's name?" he asked.

"I do not know her name," admitted the Hodja.

"What?" asked the friend in disbelief. "How long have you been married?"

"Twenty years," answered the Hodja, then added, "At first I did not think that the marriage would last, so I did not take the effort to learn my bride's name."

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Nasreddin Hodja- The Squeaky Shoe

A guest of the Hodja's broke wind, but he hid its sound by rubbing his shoe across the floor at the same time.

"You did well by covering up that sound with your squeaky shoe," said Nasreddin. "But unfortunately you did not hide the smell."

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Nasreddin Hodja- The Robe

The Hodja, bruised and limping, came upon a neighbor at the marketplace.

"My dear friend, what happened to you?" asked the neighbor.

The Hodja answered, "Last night my wife grew angry and kicked my robe down the stairs."

"But how could that have caused your injuries?" continued the neighbor.

"I was wearing the robe when she kicked it down the stairs," explained the Hodja.

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Nasreddin Hodja- The Recipe

The Hodja purchased a piece of meat at the market, and on his way home he met a friend.

Seeing the Hodja's purchase, the friend told him an excellent recipe for stew.

"I'll forget it for sure," said the Hodja. "Write it on a piece of paper for me."

The friend obliged him, and the Hodja continued on his way, the piece of meat in one hand and the recipe in the other. He had not walked far when suddenly a large hawk swooped down from the sky, snatched the meat, and flew away with it.

"It will do you no good!" shouted the Hodja after the disappearing hawk. "I still have the recipe!"

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Nasreddin Hodja- The Older Wife

Nasreddin Hodja had two wives, one much older than the other.
"Which of us do you love the most?" asked the older wife one day.
"I love you both the same," answered Nasreddin, wisely.
Not satisfied with this answer, the older wife continued, "If the two of us wives fell out of a boat, which one of us would you rescue first?"
"Well," replied Nasreddin, "you can swim a little, can't you?"

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Nasreddin Hodja- The Lost Shoe

In preparation for prayers the Hodja performed his ablution in a swiftly running brook. Just as he was finishing the ceremonial washing, the stream carried away one of his shoes that had been on the bank near the water.

Angry at the loss of his shoe, the Hodja broke wind over the water, saying, "Brook, you can have back your ablution! Now give me back my shoe!"

* Note: According to Islamic tradition, breaking wind invalidates a ceremonial ablution.

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Nasreddin Hodja- The Last Laugh

Nasreddin Hodja had grown old and was near death. His two grieving wives, knowing that his end was near, were dressed in mourning robes and veils.

"What is this?" he said, seeing their sorrowful appearance. "Put aside your veils. Wash your faces. Comb your hair. Make yourselves beautiful. Put on your most festive apparel."

"How could we do that?" asked the older of his wives, "with our dear husband on his deathbed?"

With a wry smile he replied, speaking more to himself than to them, "Perhaps when the Angel of Death makes his entry he will see the two of you, all decked out like young brides, and will take one of you instead of me."

With these final words he laughed quietly to himself, happily closed his eyes, and died. crazy hair

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Nasreddin Hodja- The Hodja and His Eight Donkeys

The Hodja had eight donkeys; he mounted one of them. At the end of his ride he counted them, but he saw only seven. He forgot the one he was sitting on. After dismounting he counted eight. This so confused him that he asked a passerby, "Earlier there were only seven, but now there are suddenly eight!"

"The one you were sitting on brought the number to eight."

The Hodja answered, "But how was I to see what I had on my behind?"

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