Tamerlane and the Pilaf

Emperor Tamerlane was eating lamb pilaf. "This is delicious!" he shouted. "Isn't this delicious, Nasruddin?"
"It's delicious," agreed Nasruddin.
The emperor had another serving, and another, and another. The pilaf sat heavily on the emperor's stomach.
"This pilaf is too oily and too salty," complained the emperor. "Nasruddin, isn't this terrible?"
"It's terrible," agreed Nasruddin.
"But you said it was delicious!" protested Tamerlane. "Can't you form an opinion of your own?"
"O Great One," replied Nasruddin, "if even one as mighty as yourself changes your opinion, how can someone lowly as myself hope to have an opinion of my own?"


Inspired byThe World of Nasrudin by Idries Shah, free to read online at the Idries Shah Foundation.
Notes: This is story #172 in the book. You can read more about Turkish pilaf (pilau) at Wikipedia. Compare a similar dining conversation: The King and the Eggplants.


No comments:

Post a Comment