Tales of the Mulla Nasrudin

Some Tales of the Mulla Nasrudin 
from Idries Shah

Nasrudin is said to have been the wisest fool who ever lived – that is if he ever did live at all. Stories of Nasrudin’s many incarnations are studied by Sufis for their hidden wisdom, and are universally enjoyed for their humour. Sometimes Nasrudin is an impoverished itinerant or stallholder, and at others, he is the mayor, judge, vizier, or even the King.

Many countries claim Nasrudin as a native, although few have gone so far as Turkey in exhibiting a ‘grave’ of the wisest fool who ever lived, and holding an annual Nasrudin Festival. He is the greatest, most intriguing, character of folklore found in any Eastern land. Versions of his back-to-front thinking can be found in Morocco, Egypt and Russia, in Turkey, Greece, Albania and Afghanistan. 








Mulla Nasrudin, the wise fool of Eastern folklore, holds a special place in Sufi studies. The Sufis, who believe that deep intuition is the only real guide to knowledge, use the humorous stories of Nasrudin’s adventures almost like exercises.

They ask people to choose a few which especially appeal to them, and turn them over in their mind, making them their own.

Sufi teaching masters say that in this way a breakthrough into a higher wisdom can be effected. A single story can work on many levels, from great humour to initiating profound thought.





The appeal of Nasrudin is as universal and timeless as the truths he illustrates. His stories are read by children, by scientists and scholars, and by followers of philosophy. Idries Shah assembled a collection of Nasrudin’s trials and tribulations from ancient manuscripts and oral literature, from sources in North Africa and Turkey, the Middle East and Central Asia. Many were known to the great Sufi masters, Rumi, Jami, and Attar the chemist.







Selections from the Nasrudin Corpus

Saying of the Mulla Nasrudin. 

If I survive this life without dying, I'll be surprised. 

--The Subtleties of the Inimitable Mulla Nasrudin

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If a pot can multiply.

One day Nasrudin lent his cooking pots to a neighbour, who was giving a feast. The neighbour returned them, together with one extra one – a very tiny pot. 'What is this?' asked Nasrudin. 'According to law, I have given you the offspring of your property which was born when the pots were in my care,' said the joker. Shortly afterwards Nasrudin borrowed his neighbour's pots, but did not return them. The man came round to get them back. 'Alas!' said Nasrudin, 'they are dead. We have established, have we not, that pots are mortal?'.

--The Exploits of the Incomparable Mulla Nasrudin

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Radio

When Mulla Nasrudin arrived at the immigration barrier in London, the officer in charge asked:
'Where are you from?'
Nasrudin said:
'Grrrr … The East.' ...
'Name?'
'Mulla, sssssss, Nasrrrrgrrudin!'
'Have you an impediment in your speech?'
'Wheee-eee – no!'
'Then why do you talk like that?'
'Pip-pip-pip – I grr – learnt it from English By Radio!'



--The Subtleties of the Inimitable Mulla Nasrudin

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Where there's a will...

'Mulla, Mulla, my son has written from the Abode of Learning to say that he has completely finished his studies!' 'Console yourself, madam, with the thought that God will no doubt send him more.'



--The Subtleties of the Inimitable Mulla Nasrudin


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See what I mean?

Nasrudin was throwing handfuls of crumbs around his house. 'What are you doing?' someone asked him. 'Keeping the tigers away.' 'But there are no tigers in these parts.' 'That's right. Effective, isn't it?' 



--The Exploits of the Incomparable Mullah Nasrudin


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A Cobbler with Wings

When the Imam saw Nasrudin's scuffed and torn slippers he patted him kindly on the arm: 'Do not despair, Mulla. The Qur'an tells us that he who is needy in this world will be rewarded in Paradise. Your shoes may be worn and holed here, but you shall wear only the best in Heaven.'
'In that case,' replied Nasrudin, 'I will certainly be a cobbler in Heaven.'



--The World of Nasrudin


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The Reason

The Mulla went to see a rich man. 'Give me some money.' 'Why?' 'I want to buy... an elephant.' 'If you have no money, you can't afford to keep an elephant.' 'I came here', said Nasrudin, 'to get money, not advice.'



--The Pleasantries of the Incredible Mulla Nasrudin


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Selling Half the House

Nasrudin visited a house-agent one day: 'I want to sell one half of the house I live in' he said. 'But Mulla, I know your house - you only own one-half of it.' 'That is exactly the point. I want to sell my half to buy the other half with the money I raise from the deal.'




--Learning How to Learn


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The Cat and the Meat

Nasrudin gave his wife some meat to cook for guests. When the meal arrived, there was no meat. She had eaten it. 'The cat ate it, all three pounds of it,' she said. Nasrudin put the cat on the scales. It weighed three pounds. 'If this is the cat,' said Nasrudin, 'where is the meat? If, on the other hand, this is the meat – where is the cat?'




--The Exploits of the Incomparable Mulla Nasrudin


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Satisfied

Nasrudin moved into a new house. The postman called and said: 'I hope that you are satisfied with the mail deliveries.' 'More than satisfied,' said Nasrudin, 'and, in fact, from tomorrow you may double my order.'



--The Subtleties of the Inimitable Mullah Nasruddin


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A Gift from God

Nasrudin was out walking when a bee stung him on the nose. The wound began to swell alarmingly and he hurried off to see the doctor. As he crossed the bazaar, a wag pointed and laughed: 'Where did you get that nose – from a donkey?' 'Yes,' replied the Mulla. 'When God divided the ass, he gave you the brains and me the nose.'



--The World of Nasrudin


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The use of a light

'I can see in the dark,' boasted Nasrudin one day in the teahouse. 'If that is so, why do we sometimes see you carrying a light through the streets?' 'Only to prevent other people from colliding with me.'



--The Pleasantries of the Incredible Mulla Nasrudin


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Nasrudin was sitting at a cafe table gazing at two men by a hole in the road.
“What are you thinking, Mulla?” asked a passer-by.
“How lazy people are. I have been sitting here for four hours, and I've never taken my eyes off those men. Can you believe that during all that time, neither of them has done any work?”



--Special Illumination


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Men and Women

‘I have been in places’, Nasrudin was informing the people in the teahouse, ‘where it is so hot that nobody can bear clothes next to the skin’. ‘Then how do they tell men from women, Mulla?’ asked one of the patrons. ‘Well… they can’t, not in that country’.



--The World of the Sufi



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Why don't you?

Nasrudin went to the shop of a man who stocked all kinds of bits and pieces. 'Have you got nails?' he asked. 'Yes.' 'And leather, good leather?' 'Yes.' 'And twine?' 'Yes.' 'And dye?' 'Yes.' 'Then why, for Heaven's sake, don't you make a pair of boots?'



--The Pleasantries of the Incredible Mulla Nasrudin



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Camels and Men

‘Nasrudin,’ asked his neighbor, ‘which is more intelligent, a camel or a man?’ ‘A camel,’ replied the Mulla, ‘because it carries heavy loads without complaint, but never asks for an additional load. Man, on the other hand, burdened by responsibility, is always choosing to add to his loads.’



--The World of Nasrudin


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The Burglar

A thief went into Nasrudin's house and carried away almost all the possessions of the Mulla to his own home. Nasrudin had been watching from the street. After a few minutes Nasrudin took up a blanket, followed him, went into his house, lay down, and pretended to go to sleep. 'Who are you, and what are you doing here?' asked the thief. 'Well,' said the Mulla, 'we were moving house, were we not?'



--The Pleasantries of the Incredible Mulla Nasrudin



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Burnt Foot

An illiterate came to Nasrudin, and asked him to write a letter for him. ‘I can’t,’ said the Mulla, ‘because I have burned my foot.’ ‘What has that got to do with writing a letter?’ ‘Since nobody can read my handwriting, I am bound to have to travel somewhere to interpret the letter. And my foot is sore; so there is no point in writing the letter, is there?’



--The Exploits of the Incomparable Mulla Nasrudin


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Child Psychology

Nasrudin’s wife was in labour, but the midwife was unable to deliver the child. Finally, in desperation, she turned to the Mulla.
‘You are meant to be a wise man. Is there anything you can do to help?’
‘If only you had asked before!’ exclaimed Nasrudin and rushed off to the bazaar. He returned a few minutes later carrying a top, which he started spinning on the ...floor.
‘Have you gone completely mad?’ squawked the midwife.
‘Have patience,’ replied Nasrudin calmly. ‘When the child sees the toy he will jump out and play with it!’


--The World of Nasrudin


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Tit for Tat

Nasrudin went into a shop to buy a pair of trousers. Then he changed his mind and chose a cloak in¬stead, at the same price.
Picking up the cloak he left the shop. ...
‘You have not paid,’ shouted the merchant.
‘I left you the trousers, which were of the same value as the cloak.’
‘But you did not pay for the trousers either.’
‘Of course not,’ said the Mulla – ‘why should I pay for some¬thing that I did not want to buy?’



--The Pleasantries of the Incredible Mulla Nasrudín


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The Unsuspected Element

Two men were quarrelling outside Nasrudin’s window at dead of night. Nasrudin got up, wrapped his only blanket around himself, and ran out to try to stop the noise. When he tried to reason with the drunks, one snatched his blanket and both ran away. ‘What were they arguing about?’ asked his wife when he went in. ‘It must have been the blanket. When they got that, the fight broke up.’




--The Exploits of the Incomparable Mulla Nasrudin


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Inscrutable Fate

Nasrudin was walking along an alleyway when a man fell from a roof and landed on his neck. The man was unhurt; the Mulla was taken to hospital. Some disciples went to visit him. ‘What wisdom do you see in this happening, Mulla?’ ‘Avoid any belief in the inevitability of cause and effect! He falls off the roof – but my neck is broken! Shun reliance upon theoretical questions such as: “If a man falls off a roof, will his neck be broken?”



--The Pleasantries of the Incredible Mulla Nasrudin


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There is more Light here

Someone saw Nasrudin searching for something on the ground. 'What have you lost, Mulla?' he asked. 'My key,' said the Mulla. So they both went down on their knees and looked for it. After a time the other man asked: 'Where exactly did you drop it?' 'In my own house.' 'Then why are you looking here?' 'There is more light here than inside my own house.'




--The Exploits of the Incomparable Mulla Nasrudin



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Men and Women

‘I have been in places’, Nasrudin was informing the people in the teahouse, ‘where it is so hot that nobody can bear clothes next to the skin’. ‘Then how do they tell men from women, Mulla?’ asked one of the patrons. ‘Well… they can’t, not in that country’.




--The World of the Sufi


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Costly

Nasrudin opened a booth with a sign above it: TWO QUESTIONS ON ANY SUBJECT ANSWERED FOR £5. A man who had two very urgent questions handed over his money, saying: ‘Five pounds is rather expensive for two questions, isn’t it?’ ‘Yes,’ said Nasrudin, ‘and the next question, please?’



--The Subtleties of the Inimitable Mulla Nasrudin



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Careless Head

Nasrudin was tying his turban when the wind caught the cloth and carried it away. ‘What a shame!’ lamented his friend. ‘That was a beautiful piece of Indian muslin.’ ‘I should never have trusted my careless head with it. That is the third turban it has lost this week,’ said Nasrudin.


--The World of Nasrudin



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Adventures In The Desert

‘When I was in the desert,’ said Nasrudin one day, ‘I caused an entire tribe of horrible and bloodthirsty bedouins to run.’ ‘However did you do it?’ ‘Easy. I just ran, and they ran after me.’



--The Exploits of the Incomparable Mulla Nasrudin


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The Answer

‘There is nothing without an answer,’ said a monk as he entered the teahouse where Nasrudin and his friends sat. ‘Yet I have been challenged by a scholar with an unanswerable question,’ observed the Mulla. ‘Would that I had been there! Tell it to me, and I shall answer it.’‘Very well. He said: “Why are you stealing into my house through a window by night?”’

The Pleasantries of the Incredible Mulla Nasrudin




from: https://www.facebook.com/IdriesShah