[NASIRUDDIN](UNIT: 6)

Pre-Reading:

• Do you like humorous stories?
• Have you ever heard about Nasiruddin?

Reading:

Every year Nasiruddin Day is celebrated in Turkey with great pomp and show. The age in which he lived is not exactly known. There are even doubts about the country of his birth . The Iranian claime that he was an Iranian.  The Turks have their own claims. The latest claim is that of the Russian who say that he was born in Bukhara. Whatever his place of birth,and nationality might have been ,the fact remains that his anecdotes are famous all over the world. Several volumes of stories about Nasiruddin have been published in England. A translation of stories relating to the funny situation of his life has been published in Chinese. In Russia a novel has been published about the life of Nasiruddin. Several volumes of his stories have been published in Urdu and Pashto. They are often repeated by the people. 

The stories of Nasiruddin are popular because they deal with the experience of day to day life.He had been a tailor,a merchant,a doctor and a judge. He had travelled widely. Here are a few amusing stories about Nasiruddin. 

1.   Nasiruddin requested a friend named Jalal to accompany him on a journey. "Only on one condition ",said Jalal "that you lend me your cloak because mine is worn out". Nasiruddin gave a new and very fine cloak to Jalal. On the way Nasiruddin met another friend and said to him,"Sir ,meet my friend Jalal.The cloak that he is wearing is mine ". When the friend had left ,Jalal protested,"why did you tell that man that the cloak was yours?"Nasiruddin promised that he would not repeat the mistake. As they preceded further and visited another friend thus,"Here is Jalal ,an old friend of mine.The cloak that he is wearing is his own".Jalal became furious and warned Nasiruddin not to speak a word about the cloak. When they visited another of Nasiruddin Friends,he introduced his friend. "Meet my friend Jalal. The cloak that he is wearing _OH!I'm not supposed to say a word about it ".
2. A farmer brought a letter to Nasiruddin and requested him to read it for him. Nasiruddin wanted to be excused saying that he could not do so because he was illiterate. The farmer said,"You are wearing such a big turban and still cannot read a letter ".Nasiruddin placed his turban on the head of the farmer and said,"Now you have the turban on your head .Read the letter".
3. Nasiruddin had two daughters . One was married to a farmer;the other to a brick-maker. One day both of them came to see him . The farmer's wife said,"My husband has just sown a crop of wheat . If it rains,he will buy me an ornament ". The other said ,"I hope it does not . My husband has just made a large number of bricks which are ready for baking. If it does not rain,he will buy me an ornament".Nasiruddin said," I can pray for either of you ,but I do not know for which one I should pray".
4. Once thieves entered Nasiruddin house .He hid himself in a cupboard. The thieves,after ransacking the house,reached the cupboard and opened it. They asked him why he was hiding himself here. Nasiruddin answered,"Because of shame that there is nothing worthy of you in my house."
5.  One day Nasiruddin was riding his horse . The horse took fright and started to gallop . A person asked Nasiruddin where was he going so fast." Do not ask me,ask my horse ",he replied. 
6. Once Nasiruddin was very angry with his wife. His wife asked him to go out and walk on the road . When he had walked for two days,he met a man going towards his house. Nasiruddin said to him,"When you reach my house ,please ask my wife whether I should continue walking ".
7. Some one asked Nasiruddin about his age . He answered,"Three years older than my brother. "How ",the man asked." My brother told someone what  I was two years older than him. Since one year has passed when he said that ,it means that now I am three years older than him. If I grow at this rate, I shall soon be his grandfather ".
8. Nasiruddin went to see a rich man ,"Give me some money,"he requested. The rich man asked ,"Why?" Nasiruddin said,"I want to buy an elephant ". If you have no money,you can't afford to keep an elephant,"replied the rich man."I came here ,"said Nasiruddin,"to get money ,not advice ".
9. Nasiruddin climbed into someone's kitchen garden and started filling a sack with everything that he could lay his hands on. The gardener saw him and came running,"What are you doing here ?"he asked ."I was blown here by a wind",replied Nasiruddin. "And who uprooted the vegetables? "Asked the gardener ."I caught hold of them to stop myself being swept along"."And how comes that there are vegetables in that sack?" That is just what I was wondering about when you interrupted me", Nasiruddin said.
10. A neighbor called on Nasiruddin and said,I want to borrow your donkey."I am sorry,"said Nasiruddin,"but I have already lent it out". As soon as he had spoken,the donkey prayed.The sound came from Nasiruddin stable ."But Nasiruddin, I can hear the donkey in there",the man said . As he shut the door in the man face, Nasiruddin said with dignity,"A man,who believes the words of a donkey in preference to my words,does not deserve to be lent anything ".