A time for asking and a time for giving

Some simpletons will importune you and then ask for a favour. To do better than this, when you petition think people! Understand them if you want their understanding. This reminds me of a story:

Nasreddin was repairing the roof. Not easy when you are beyond your first youth. A neighbour called him from the street.

“Hoça!”

“Yes”

“Please come down, I have something important to talk with you.”

“Can’t wait?”

“It’s urgent!”

The Mullah climbed down from the roof with some pain.

“What is it?”

The neighbour whispered into his ear, confidentially,

“Can you please lend me five silver akce?”

“Come up with me.” said Nasreddin.

The man worked his way up the ladder after him. On the roof he asked again:

“Can I have the money now?”

Nasreddin leaned over and whispered confidentially into his ear:

“I’m so sorry, I don’t have any coins left.”

"When the whole world smells fish"

It is possible that everybody turned against you but this is rare. When the whole world smells fish… you are in need to clean your nose. What happens to you is because of you. Consider what you should change. This reminds me of a story:

Nasreddin was on his way home from saint Mecca.

Midway on the dusty caravan path between two cities he met a man. They greeted each other and sat down to chatter, as lonely travellers are so happy to do.

"Tell me Hoça," asked the pilgrim, "since you came that way you must know. How are the people in the city where I go?"

The Mullah inquired:


"First tell me how the people in the town you come from were."

"They were despicable evil people. They were out to get me, all of them. I was lucky to escape their wickedness."

" Well, my friend, they will be all the same in the city where you go.”

BULL EYE'S

Looks like a joke but thinks like strategy. Decide your aim after the fact and you will never fail to reach your goals. This reminds me of a story:

“Tell me worm,” asked old Tamerlane, “you who fall at all times on your feet like a cat, how do you manage to always find the right story or the sharp answer to save your skin?”

Nasrudin stroked his beard, an excessive number of times, as a sign of deep pondering. Then he answered:

“Ruler of the World, second to no King, this reminds me of a story:

Once when I was young, there were on my fence, near my gate – well in sight for everyone to see - seven targets, each with an arrow shot right into the bull’s eye. That was telling enough for the passer-by so that thieves avoided my house. Once, the Sultan came that way. He leaned from his white horse to ask who was this marvellous marksman whom he would like to take in service for his guard. I was brought forth. He asked me how I did to shoot like this. As I had no wish to be taken to military service, I told him the very truth:

“Majesty, “I said, I did the following: first I took my father’s old recurved bow and a quiverfull of tough birch shafts, fletched with long, low turkey feathers. Then I released, leisurely, seven arrows into my fence, boldly, with no concern for where they headed. I even shot again one of them that fell on the ground. When I saw that all seven were firmly sunk into the fence, I took my brush and colours and painted a bull’s eye around each arrow, careful to place the pinhole right around the arrowhead. The rest of the rings were easy to paint up to the last white circle. I am proud to say, O, Sultan, that in this way I never failed.””

nasreddin , the foolish man (where is my sixth donkey?)

One sunny morning, Nasreddin went to the market and brought six donkeys with him. He wanted to sell them. Nasreddin felt tired and then rode one of the donkeys. A moment later he wanted to make sure that he did not lose any of the donkeys. Sitting on the back of his donkey, Nasreddin counted his donkeys but skipping the onehe was riding on. So, he was confused because there were only five donkeys left, while he brought six donkeys from his house.
He got down from his donkey and started to count again. He was very glad at that time because the donkeys were six. He rodeone of them again. Five minutes later he started counting the donkeys again. And he was confused again because he only got five donkeys. Coincidentally one of his friends came and asked him, ''Why do you look very confused, Nasreddin?'' Nasreddin answered, "Yes, I am very confused. This morning I left my house and brought six donkeys with me. Because I was tired I rode on one of them. I counted my donkeys. There were only five donkeys. Then I got down from my donkey. I counted again and there were six donkeys. I was wondering and also glad because my lost donkey was back. Then I rode one of them again. Now, I count them again and there are only five donkeys left."
His friend said, "There are six donkeys here." ''No, there are only five. Let me count again, one, two, three, four, five. There are only five!" Nasreddin answered. "Yes, you just counted five donkeys, and you are riding on the other one and you didn't count it. So, there are six donkeys," his friend explained.