~ 13. Nasruddin's Bribe ~



Nasruddin needed the judge's signature on some documents, which meant a bribe, and Nasruddin didn't like bribes.
So, Nasruddin got a pot, filled it with mud, and put honey on top to make it look like a pot full of honey. Nasruddin gave this to the judge, and the judge gave him the signed documents.
The next day, the judge's servant delivered a message. "The documents were in error! Return them to the judge."
"The documents are fine," Nasruddin replied. "If the judge has a problem of his own, he should take that up with his conscience, not with me."



Inspired byThe World of Nasrudin by Idries Shah, free to read online at the Idries Shah Foundation.
Notes: This is story #176 in the book. In Shah's version, the sweets are made of wax; I borrowed the honey on top of mud from another version of the story I've heard.


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