02 Who Is Nasreddin Hodja?

Everybody in Turkey knows the stories about Nasreddin Hodja. These funny stories are part of Turkish folk culture. Nasreddin Hodja was a man who lived near Ankara, in central Turkey, in the thirteenth century. The jokes and stories are about Nasreddin's daily life. Some of these stories are about eight hundred years old, and they are still funny. Here are some Nasreddin Hodja stories.

The Pot That Gave Birth

Nasreddin Hodja borrowed a large pot from his neighbor. Days and weeks passed, but he didn't return the pot. One day the neighbor came over and asked to have his pot back. Hodja apologized, “I am sorry.I forgot to return it.”But,he said,“I have good news for you.While the pot was at my house,it gave birth to a smaller pot.”

Hodja handed his neighbor the big pot and the“baby” pot, and the neighbor went home happily with two pots.

A few weeks later, Hodja knocked on his neighbor's door and asked to borrow the large pot again. The neighbor remembered the good experience from the first time, so he was happy to lend his pot to Hodja again.

Weeks passed and there was no word from Hodja about the pot. The neighbor decided to go to Hodja's house, as before, and ask him to return the pot. When Hodja opened the door, the neighbor asked to have the pot back. Hodja, with a sad face, told the man that the large pot died.

The neighbor was shocked and angry and said, “What do you think I am,an idiot?Do you want me to believe that a pot died? ”

“My good man, ” Hodja replied with a smile, “you had no trouble believing that a pot gave birth.”

 

Tiger Powder

One day Nasreddin Hodja was outside. His neighbor saw Hodja putting some powder on the ground around his house. The neighbor asked, “Hodja, what are you doing? ”

Hodja replied, “I want to keep the tigers away.”

The neighbor said, “But there are no tigers within hundreds of miles.”

“Effective,isn't it? ”Hodja replied.

 

The Opinions of Men

Hodja and his son went on a journey to another town. They only had one donkey. Hodja told his son to ride the donkey. Hodja preferred to walk. On the way, they met some people who said,“Look at that healthy boy! That's today's youth. They have no respect for their elders. He is riding on the donkey and his poor father is walking! ”

When they passed these people, the boy felt bad. He told his father to ride the donkey while he walked. So Hodja rode the donkey, and the boy walked at his side.

A little later, they met other people who said, “Well, look at that! That poor boy has to walk while his father is riding the donkey.”

After they passed these people, Hodja told his son, “The best thing is for both of us to walk. Then, no one can complain.”So they continued their journey on foot, walking beside the donkey.

Down the road, they met some others who said, “Just look at those idiots. Both of them are walking under this hot sun and neither of them is riding the donkey! ”

Hodja turned to his son and said, “That shows you how hard it is to escape the opinions of men.”

 

Backward Donkey

One day, Nasreddin Hodja got on his donkey the wrong way, facing backward.

“Hodja, ” the people said, “you are sitting on your donkey backward! ”

“No, ”he replied.“I am sitting on the donkey correctly. It is the donkey that is facing backward.”

The stories of Nasreddin Hodja are now in many languages. They are popular all over the world. In honor of Nasreddin Hodja, UNESCO (The United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) decided to call 1996—1997 International Nasreddin Hodja Year.