The imam came to see Nasruddin and discovered there was a dog in Nasruddin's kitchen.
"What is this unclean beast doing in your kitchen?" he shouted.
"This is my watchdog," said Nasruddin. "He's also good at herding goats."
"You must drive this dog out of your house before God sends his avenging angels to punish you!"
"About those angels," said Nasruddin, "are they going to watch out for thieves and herd my goats?"
"Of course not!" exclaimed the imam. "That's not a job for God's angels."
"Well then," said Nasruddin, "I think I'm going to have to keep my dog."
Inspired by: The World of Nasrudin by Idries Shah, free to read online at the Idries Shah Foundation.
Notes: This is story #83 in the book. There are some Islamic traditions asserting that dogs are unclean and should not be kept in the house. There is a legend, for example, that the barking of a puppy in Mohammad's house prevented the angel Gabriel from coming to give Mohammad a message (more about this legend).
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