Mullah Nasruddin

As Nasruddin emerged form the mosque after prayers, a beggar sitting
on the street solicited alms. The following conversation followed:
- Are you extravagant? asked Nasruddin.
- Yes Nasruddin. replied the beggar.
- Do you like sitting around drinking coffee and smoking? asked Nasruddin.
- Yes. replied the beggar.
- I suppose you like to goto the baths everyday? asked Nasruddin.
- Yes. replied the beggar.
- ... And maybe amuse yourself, even, by drinking with friends? asked Nasruddin.
- Yes I like all those things. replied the beggar.
- Tut, Tut, said Nasruddin, and gave hima gold piece.
A few yards farther on. another beggar who hadoverheard the
conversation begged for alms also.
- Are you extravagant? asked Nasruddin.
- No, Nasruddin replied second beggar.
- Do you like sitting around drinking coffee and smoking? asked Nasruddin.
- No. replied second beggar.
- I suppose you like to goto the baths everyday? asked Nasruddin.
- No. replied second beggar.
- ... And maybe amuse yourself, even, by drinking with friends? asked Nasruddin.
- No, I want to only live meagerly and to pray. replied second beggar.
Whereupon the Nasruddin gave him a small copper coin.
- But why, wailed secondbeggar, do you give me, an economical and pious
man, a penny, when you give that extravagant fellow a sovereign?
Ah my friend, replied Nasruddin, his needs are greater than yours.
One day Nasruddin went to a banquet. As he was dressed rather
shabbily, no one let him in. So he ran home, put on his best robe and
fur coat and returned. Immediately, the host came over, greeted him
and ushered him to the head of an elaborate banquet table. When the
food was served, Nasruddin took some soup with spoon and pushed it to
the his fur coat and said, - Eat my fur coat, eat! It's obvious that
you're the real guest of honor today, not me!
One hot day, Nasruddin was taking it easy in the shade of a walnut
tree. After a time, he started eying speculatively, the huge pumpkins
growingon vines and the small walnuts growing on a majestic tree.
- Sometimes I just can't understand the ways of God! he mused. Just
fancy letting tinny walnuts grow on so majestic a tree and
hugepumpkins on the delicate vines!
Just then a walnut snapped off and fell smack on Mullah Nasruddin's
bald head. He got up at once and lifting up his hands and face to
heavens in supplication, said:
- Oh, my God! Forgive myquestioning your ways! You are all-wise. Where
would I have been now, if pumpkins grew on trees!