Nasreddin Hoca
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Nasreddin Hodja is Turkey's (and perhaps all
of Islam's) best-known trickster. His legendary wit and droll
trickery were possibly based on the exploits and words of a
historical imam. Nasreddin reputedly was born in 1208 in the
village of Horto near Sivrihisar. In 1237 he moved to Aksehir,
where he died in the Islamic year 683 (1284 or 1285). As many
as 350 anecdotes have been attributed to the Hodja, as he most
often is called. Hodja is a title meaning teacher or scholar.
He frequently is compared with the northern European trickster
Till Eulenspiegel.
The many spelling variations for Nasreddin include: Nasreddin,
Nasrettin, Nasrudin, Nasr-id-deen, Nasr-eddin, Nasirud-din,
Nasr-ud-Din, Nasr-Eddin, and Nasr-Ed-Dine.
The many spelling variations for Hodja include: Hodja, Hodscha,
Hoca, Chotza, Khodja, and Khoja
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Everyone Is Right
Once when Nasreddin Hodja was serving as qadi, one of his neighbors
came to him with a complaint against a fellow neighbor.
The Hodja listened to the charges carefully, then
concluded, "Yes, dear neighbor, you are quite right."
Then the other neighbor came to him. The Hodja listened
to his defense carefully, then concluded, "Yes, dear neighbor,
you are quite right."
The Hodja's wife, having listened in on the entire
proceeding, said to him, "Husband, both men cannot be right."
The Hodja answered, "Yes, dear wife, you are
quite right."
Walnuts and Pumpkins
Nasreddin Hodja was lying in the shade of an ancient walnut tree.
His body was at rest, but, befitting his calling as an imam, his
mind did not relax. Looking up into the mighty tree he considered
the greatness and wisdom of Allah.
"Allah is great and Allah is good," said
the Hodja, "but was it indeed wise that such a great tree as
this be created to bear only tiny walnuts as fruit? Behold the stout
stem and strong limbs. They could easily carry the pumpkins that
grow from spindly vines in yonder field, vines that cannot begin
to bear the weight of their own fruit. Should not walnuts grow on
weakly vines and pumpkins on sturdy trees?"
So thinking, the Hodja dosed off, only to be awakened
by a walnut that fell from the tree, striking him on his forehead.
"Allah be praised!" he exclaimed, seeing
what had happened. "If the world had been created according
to my meager wisdom, it would have been a pumpkin that fell from
the tree and hit me on the head. It would have killed me for sure!
Allah is great! Allah is good! Allah is wise!"
Never again did Nasreddin Hodja question the wisdom
of Allah.
Faith Moves Mountains
The Hodja was boasting about the power of his faith.
"If your faith is so strong, then pray for
that mountain to come to you," said a skeptic, pointing to
a mountain in the distance.
The Hodja prayed fervently, but the mountain did
not move. He prayed more, but the mountain remained unmoved.
Finally the Hodja got up from his knees and began
walking toward the mountain. "I am a humble man," he said,
"and the faith of Islam is a practical one. If the mountain
will not come to the Hodja, then the Hodja will go to the mountain."
The Smell of Soup and the Sound of Money
A beggar was given a piece of bread, but nothing to put on it. Hoping
to get something to go with his bread, he went to a nearby inn and
asked for a handout. The innkeeper turned him away with nothing,
but the beggar sneaked into the kitchen where he saw a large pot
of soup cooking over the fire. He held his piece of bread over the
steaming pot, hoping to thus capture a bit of flavor from the good-smelling
vapor.
Suddenly the innkeeper seized him by the arm and
accused him of stealing soup.
"I took no soup," said the beggar. "I
was only smelling the vapor."
"Then you must pay for the smell," answered
the innkeeper.
The poor beggar had no money, so the angry innkeeper
dragged him before the qadi.
Now Nasreddin Hodja was at that time serving as
qadi, and he heard the innkeeper's complaint and the beggar's explanation.
"So you demand payment for the smell of your
soup?" summarized the Hodja after the hearing.
"Yes!" insisted the innkeeper.
"Then I myself will pay you," said the
Hodja, "and I will pay for the smell of your soup with the
sound of money."
Thus saying, the Hodja drew two coins from his pocket,
rang them together loudly, put them back into his pocket, and sent
the beggar and the innkeeper each on his own way.
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