Tiny Tales: Traditional Stories in 100 Words: Book: Nasruddin

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Tiny Tales of Nasruddin

Welcome to Tiny Tales of Nasruddin. This is a collection of two hundred stories about Nasruddin, and each story is just 100 words long.

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Creative Commons. This work is released with a Creative Commons license: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. That means you can remix and reuse individual stories or the contents of the whole book with attribution for non-commercial purposes, provided that you release your work with the same license. Find out more.
Attribution: Tiny Tales of Nasruddin by Laura Gibbs.
Version: June 22 2020.

You can access the book in a variety of formats, along with individual stories here at the blog (see story title list and links below).

Pressbooks. This is a web-based presentation of the book with all the stories on one page. Even better: you can highlight the stories using Hypothesis; just click on the upper right-hand corner for the Hypothesis toolbar.

Audiobook. There is a free audiobook you can listen to via SoundCloud. I've also made the mp3 files available for download if you prefer not to use SoundCloud and/or if you want to repurpose the audio (which is also released with the CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license).

EPUB. You can use this EPUB file for ebook readers like Nook, etc.

MOBI. You can download this MOBI file to load onto your Kindle, and this Kindle MOBI file is free! Here's how to add a free MOBI file to your Kindle.

Kindle Store. The Kindle book is available at Amazon for 99 cents (which is the lowest price you can set for a Kindle book; see the free MOBI option above).

Print. There is a print version available at Amazon for $5.99, and that's with free Prime shipping!

Randomizer. You can see a story from the book at random, and you can also get the javascript code to add the randomizer to your own blog or website if you want.

Text file. This is a plain text file, no special characters. This option might be useful if you want to repurpose the entire book with your own formatting; see Creative Commons licensing CC BY-NC-SA above.

HTML. If you want to read a web-based presentation without the Hypothesis toolbar, this is a very simple HTML version.

PDF. You can download a PDF copy of the book.

Diigo. If you are interested in searching the contents of the book, searching the Diigo bookmark collection might be useful! You can use Boolean searches of the #nasr:book items. For example: camel.

~ ~ ~

TINY TALES OF NASRUDDIN
A Book of Two Hundred 100-Word Stories

ABOUT THIS BOOK

Stories of Nasruddin date back to 13th-century Turkey. Legend tells us Nasruddin was born in Sivrihisar in central Anatolia, and a tomb in Akshehir bears his name. Nasruddin's stories spread throughout the Middle East, South Asia, and Central Asia, and UNESCO declared 1996-1997 "The International Year of Nasruddin." As you read these stories, you will see that Nasruddin is sometimes wise, sometimes foolish, and sometimes both at once. The 200 stories in this book are just a small fraction of the Nasruddin story tradition. To find out more about Nasruddin and to read more Nasruddin stories, visit:
Nasruddin.LauraGibbs.net

The paragraph you just read about Nasruddin is 100 words long, as is this paragraph, and that's also the length of each story in this book. The stories go fast, but you can slow down when you find one you like. Read it again. Let it sink in. Maybe even write your own version of the story, using your imagination to add more details. Meanwhile, if you don't like a story, don't get bogged down; just move on to the next one. There are more 100-word stories about Nasruddin, along with stories from other cultural traditions, at:
100Words.LauraGibbs.net

For story-specific bibliography and notes, visit:
Nasruddin.LauraGibbs.net

Birant, Mehmet Ali. Nasreddin Hodja: The Turk Who Makes the World Laugh.
Borrow, George. The Turkish Jester.
Downing, Charles. Tales of the Hodja.
Farzad, Houman (Diane Wilcox, translator). Classic Tales of Mulla Nasreddin.
Kabacali, Alpay. Nasreddin Hodja.
Mahfuzdur, Her Hakki. 202 Jokes of Nasreddin Hodja.
Muallimoglu, Nejat. The Wit and Wisdom of Nasraddin Hodja.
Nakosteen, Mehdi. Mulla's Donkey and Other Friends.
Neruda, Nico. The Little Book of Sufi Parables.
Ohebsion, Rodney. 200+ Mullah Nasruddin Stories and Jokes.
Rahman, Jamal. Sacred Laughter of the Sufis.
Sawhney, Clifford. The Funniest Tales of Mullah Nasruddin.
Shah, Idries. The Exploits of the Incomparable Mulla Nasrudin.
Shah, Idries. The Pleasantries of the Incredible Mulla Nasrudin.
Shah, Idries. The Subtleties of the Inimitable Mulla Nasrudin.
Shah, Idries. The World of Nasrudin.
Suresha, Ron. The Uncommon Sense of the Immortal Mullah Nasruddin.
Yorenc, Kemal. The Best Anecdotes of Nasreddin Hoca.

Corrigenda:

132 "Well," said Nasruddin, "I already know [period should be comma]
141 "O God," he cried, "please [missing first comma]
200 "And when will you say the rest?" asked the Angel. [capitalized]

~ 1. Nasruddin Gallops Through the Market ~

Laura Gibbs · 1. Nasruddin Gallops Through the Market

The town square was crowded for market day.
Then, all of a sudden, Nasruddin came galloping through the square on his donkey. It looked like he was about to fall off, barely holding onto the reins with one hand while struggling to keep his turban on with the other.
Nobody had ever seen Nasruddin or his donkey move this fast!
"Hey there, Nasruddin!" yelled one of his friends as Nasruddin rode by. "Just where are you going in such a hurry?"
Nasruddin shouted a reply as the donkey galloped past. "I honestly don't know! You need to ask the donkey!"

Inspired by: Mulla's Donkey and Other Friends by Mehdi Nakosteen
Notes: This story is on p. 10 of the book. Nakosteen tells this story about Nasruddin riding a mule, but I used the traditional donkey.

~ 2. Nasruddin Shares the Donkey's Load ~

Laura Gibbs · 2. Nasruddin Shares the Donkey's Load

Nasruddin had gone into the forest to chop wood.
At day's end, he bundled up the wood but, instead of putting the bundle on the donkey, he put the bundle on his own head. He then clambered up on the donkey and rode into town.
"Nasruddin!" shouted one of his friends. "Why are you carrying that bundle of wood there on your head? Doesn't it hurt?"
"It does hurt," Nasruddin admitted, "but I wanted to help share the load."
"I still don't understand," said Nasruddin's friend, looking puzzled.
"The donkey is carrying me," explained Nasruddin, "but I'm carrying the wood."

Inspired by: The Exploits of the Incomparable Mulla Nasrudin by Idries Shah, free to read online at the Idries Shah Foundation.
Notes: This is story 16 in the book. Other versions of the story have Nasruddin carrying a load of potatoes, a sack of grain, etc. Compare the story of Nasruddin sitting on top of the wood: Distributing the Weight.

(photo from PxFuel)

~ 3. Nasruddin's Donkey Is Missing ~

Laura Gibbs · Tiny Tales of Nasruddin

Nasruddin's donkey was lost, but Nasruddin appeared to be happy, not sad. Instead of looking for his donkey, he sat drinking coffee in the coffeehouse.
Everyone was puzzled about this, knowing how much Nasruddin loved his donkey, and his donkey had now been missing for several days.
"I don't understand why you look so happy," someone finally said to him. "How can you smile like that when your donkey is lost?"
"I'm smiling because I'm not on the donkey," explained Nasruddin, taking another sip of his coffee. "Just imagine: if I were on the donkey, I would be lost too!"

Inspired by: 202 Jokes of Nasreddin Hodja by Her Hakki Mahfuzdur
Notes: This is story 71 in the book. There are other stories about Nasruddin's lost donkey, such as The Donkey and the Cat.

(statue of Nasruddin)

~ 4. Why Nasruddin Rides Backwards ~

Laura Gibbs · 4. Why Nasruddin Rides Backwards

Nasruddin was riding his donkey to the school while his pupils walked behind him. Nasruddin sat backwards, facing the children.
"You look funny riding backwards!" they said.
"If I faced forward, I'd have my back to you," Nasruddin explained, "which wouldn't be nice. If I faced forward and you walked in front, your backs would be towards me, which also wouldn't be nice. If you walked in front facing backwards to see me, you wouldn't see where you're going and you'd probably fall down. So, me riding backwards facing you, just like this," he concluded, "is really the best solution!"

Inspired by: The Wit and Wisdom of Nasraddin Hodja by Nejat Muallimoglu
Notes: This story is on p. 112 of the book. I added the part about how it would not work for the children to walk backwards in order to explore one other possibility. There are a total of eight possibilities, in fact, but there is not room in 100 words for Nasruddin to explain all eight!

The image of Nasruddin riding backwards on his donkey is iconic:

~ 5. Nasruddin, His Son, and the Donkey ~

Laura Gibbs · 5. Nasruddin, His Son, and the Donkey

Nasruddin was going to town with his son. Nasruddin walked while his son rode their donkey.
Someone saw them and scoffed. "Lazy boy! Why must your father walk?"
So the son got off, and Nasruddin got on.
Farther down the road, someone else saw them and said, "Cruel father, making your son walk!"
So they both rode the donkey.
"Poor donkey, carrying two riders!" said the next person they met.
So then they both got off.
"Idiots!" laughed the next person. "At least one of you should ride the donkey!"
"Take note, my son," Nasruddin said. "There's no pleasing everyone."

Inspired by: The Wit and Wisdom of Nasraddin Hodja by Nejat Muallimoglu
Notes: This story is on p. 56 of the book. This is also told as an Aesop's fable, and in some Aesopic versions, the donkey falls into the river in the end: Father and Son on the Donkey.

~ 6. Borrowing Nasruddin's Donkey ~

Laura Gibbs · 6. Borrowing Nasruddin's Donkey

A neighbor asked to borrow Nasruddin's donkey.
Nasruddin did not want to loan him the donkey, but he also did not want to appear to be ungenerous. So, he made up an excuse.
"I'm sorry, but I must say no," said Nasruddin. "The donkey is not here right now; I loaned him to my brother-in-law, and he still hasn't returned the donkey."
Then, at that very moment, the donkey let out a loud bray from inside the stable.
Before his neighbor could say anything, Nasruddin gave him a hard look. "Who are you going to believe: me, or the donkey?"

Inspired by: 202 Jokes of Nasreddin Hodja by Her Hakki Mahfuzdur
Notes: This is story 8 in the book. In some versions of this story, Nasruddin goes on to add that anyone who would take the word of a donkey is not worthy of any kind of loan. Compare a similar rooster story: The Rooster's Tail-Feathers.

(donkey)

~ 7. Nasruddin's Donkey Crosses the Stream ~

Laura Gibbs · 7. Nasruddin's Donkey Crosses the Stream

Nasruddin was returning home from the market, and his donkey was carrying bags of salt.
On the way, they had to cross a stream. The donkey slipped, and the salt dissolved in the water. When the donkey stood back up, he found his load was lighter, and he trotted happily home.
The next time they came from the market, the donkey was carrying bags of wool. He decided to stumble on purpose but, instead of dissolving, the wool absorbed the water and weighed even more than before.
"You can't expect to get lucky every time!" Nasruddin said to the donkey.

Inspired by: The Exploits of the Incomparable Mulla Nasrudin by Idries Shah, free to read online at the Idries Shah Foundation.
Notes: This is story 13 in the book. The same story is in Aesop's fables, although instead of wool, the donkey is carrying sponges the second time: The Donkey with the Load of Salt. This illustration is from an edition of La Fontaine's fables; La Fontaine tells it as a story of two donkeys, one carrying salt and one carrying sponges. The illustration is by Grandville:

~ 8. Nasruddin's Saintly Donkey ~

Laura Gibbs · 8. Nasruddin's Saintly Donkey

Nasruddin sat in the coffeehouse, praising his remarkable donkey.
"Your donkey is indeed remarkable," said one of Nasruddin's friends. "I've always thought your donkey had a very saintly disposition. He is much more saintly than you are."
This took Nasruddin by surprise. "What do you mean my donkey is 'more saintly' than I am?"
"I mean that if we gave your donkey a choice between a bucket of water and a bucket of wine, he would drink the water, not the wine."
"There's nothing saintly about that!" exclaimed Nasruddin. "That just shows the donkey is less intelligent than I am."

Inspired by: The World of Nasrudin by Idries Shah, free to read online at the Idries Shah Foundation.
Notes: This is story #148 in the book.

~ 9. Nasruddin's Flying Donkey ~

Laura Gibbs · 9. Nasruddin's Flying Donkey

Nasruddin decided to teach his donkey how to fly.
"Look at the bird! Just do that!" Nasruddin would say. "It's going to be harder because you don't have wings, but I know you can do it."
Finally, the day had arrived. Nasruddin took his donkey up to a high cliff. "Fly, donkey, fly!" he said as he pushed his donkey off the cliff.
The donkey sailed through the air, but only briefly. He hit the ground and died.
Nasruddin blamed himself. "I got so excited about teaching him how to fly that I forgot to teach him how to land."

Inspired by: Nasreddin Hodja compiled by Alpay Kabacali.
Notes: This story is on p. 10 of the book. Kabacali just starts with the donkey falling off the cliff; I decided to make it about Nasruddin teaching the donkey to fly (which is also a version you can find in other Nasruddin books). In other versions, Nasruddin is not teaching his donkey to fly; instead, the donkey falls off the cliff and Nasruddin exclaims, "Oh, my donkey knows how to fly!" and then when the donkey crashes to the ground, "But unfortunately he doesn't know how to land."

~ 10. Nasruddin Counts the Donkeys ~

Laura Gibbs · 10. Nasruddin Counts the Donkeys

Nasruddin was taking the village's donkeys, laden with grain, to the mill. There was Nasruddin's donkey, plus nine more.
Halfway there, Nasruddin counted. Only nine!
Worried, he got down and went looking for the lost donkey.
When he came back, he counted again: ten donkeys.
"Praise God!" he said. "The missing donkey returned."
Nasruddin got back on his donkey and continued the journey.
Later, he counted again. Only nine!
He dismounted, went looking, came back, and counted. Ten donkeys!
"Well, I better walk. When I'm riding, that wayward donkey escapes."
Nasruddin was just forgetting to count the donkey underneath him!

Inspired by: Nasreddin Hodja compiled by Alpay Kabacali.
Notes: This story is on p. 35 of the book.

~ 11. Nasruddin Reports a Stolen Donkey ~

Laura Gibbs · 11. Nasruddin Reports a Stolen Donkey

A thief had stolen Nasruddin's donkey, so Nasruddin went to the police station to report the crime, hoping that the police would find the donkey-thief and get his donkey back.
"I want to report a theft!" Nasruddin shouted. "Someone has stolen my donkey. I need your help!"
The police officer took out a piece of paper, ready to write down Nasruddin's account of the events.
"Tell me what happened," he said.
"How can I possibly do that?" Nasruddin exclaimed. "I wasn't there when it happened! If I'd been there, I would have stopped the thief before he took my donkey."

Inspired by: The Uncommon Sense of the Immortal Mullah Nasruddin by Ron Suresha
Notes: This is story 107 in the book. In some versions, Nasruddin is indignant about finding himself in a police station, not wanting to have anything to do with the criminal element.

(Nasreddin and donkey)

~ 12. The Donkey and the Police-Chief ~

Laura Gibbs · 12. The Donkey and the Police-Chief

Nasruddin's donkey was missing. "Have you seen my donkey?" he asked everyone, but no one had seen the donkey.
Nasruddin was about to give up, when one of the village children said, "I know what happened to your donkey. My uncle says the new police chief is a real donkey. So he must be your donkey!"
"That's impossible, boy," Nasruddin replied. "My donkey is smart enough as donkeys go, but he's not capable of taking bribes, and he wouldn't know how to frame people for crimes they didn't commit. And that means he's not qualified to be chief of police!"

Inspired by: The World of Nasrudin by Idries Shah, free to read online at the Idries Shah Foundation.
Notes: This is story #108 in the book.

~ 13. Nasruddin's Bribe ~

Laura Gibbs · 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 by: The 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.

~ 14. The Judge's Brand-New Shoes ~

Laura Gibbs · 14. The Judge's Brand-New Shoes

One night Nasruddin found the judge lying drunk in a ditch. Chuckling, he took the judge's brand-new shoes. They were just the right size!
The next day the judge complained that robbers had ambushed him. "They stole my brand-new shoes!" he yelled.
Nasruddin then strolled into court wearing the judge's shoes.
"Where did you get those?" the judge demanded.
"I met a drunken man last night, and he insisted I take them," Nasruddin replied with a smile. "Do you know who he is? I'll gladly return them. He was, I'm afraid, very drunk."
The judge glared at Nasruddin in reply.

Inspired by: The World of Nasrudin by Idries Shah, free to read online at the Idries Shah Foundation.
Notes: This is story #48 in the book.

~ 15. Nasruddin and the Slap ~

Laura Gibbs · 15. Nasruddin and the Slap

A man slapped Nasruddin on the face, so Nasruddin took the man to court, accusing him of assault.
The judge ordered that the man must give Nasruddin a gold coin by way of damages.
"I will go home, get the coin, and be back within an hour," the man promised.
Nasruddin waited for an hour, and then another hour.
When three hours had passed and the man still had not returned, Nasruddin got up and slapped the judge.
"I'm going home, Your Honor," he explained, "so when that man finally shows up, feel free to take the coin as compensation."

Inspired by: Mulla's Donkey and Other Friends by Mehdi Nakosteen
Notes: This story is on p. 68 of the book.

~ 16. Nasruddin and the Goat ~

Laura Gibbs · 16. Nasruddin and the Goat

Nasruddin and his neighbor were quarreling.
"You stink worse than a goat!" his neighbor said, so Nasruddin took him to court for slander.
The judge said, "Bring in a goat for comparison."
They brought in a goat, and when the judge leaned down to sniff the goat, he fainted. That's how bad the goat smelled.
They revived the judge with smelling salts, and then the judge said, "Now bring in Nasruddin."
They brought in Nasruddin, and both the judge and the goat fainted. That's how bad Nasruddin smelled.
They had to throw both Nasruddin and the goat out of court.

Inspired by: Mulla's Donkey and Other Friends by Mehdi Nakosteen
Notes: This story is on p. 10 of the book. In Nakosteen's version just the goat faints the second time, but I decided to have the judge faint again also.

~ 17. Nasruddin and the Sacks of Wheat ~

Laura Gibbs · 17. Nasruddin and the Sacks of Wheat

Nasruddin was caught taking sacks of wheat from his neighbor's barn. Nasruddin had done this before, and this time the neighbor took him to court.
"What do you have to say for yourself?" asked the judge.
"I'm just a fool," Nasruddin admitted. "I get confused about whose barn is whose, which wheat is mine or theirs. I'm not sure how I ended up with my neighbor's wheat in my wagon."
"If you're so easily confused," said the judge, "why don't you sometimes put your wheat in other people's wagons?"
"I may be a fool," Nasruddin replied, "but I'm not stupid!"

Inspired by: Mulla's Donkey and Other Friends by Mehdi Nakosteen
Notes: This story is on p. 65 of the book. This story is also told of Nasruddin going to the miller and "foolishly" taking grain out of other people's sacks, while never putting grain from his sack into theirs.

~ 18. Nasruddin Visits the Prisoners ~

Laura Gibbs · 18. Nasruddin Visits the Prisoners

As an act of charity, Nasruddin went to the prison to talk with all the prisoners and console them.
When they spoke, each inmate told Nasruddin that they were imprisoned unjustly. "I'm innocent," they told him, one after another.
One inmate, however, did not protest. "I'm guilty of my crimes," he said, "and that's why I'm here in prison."
As soon as Nasruddin heard that, he went to see the warden.
"You have to free this prisoner immediately!" Nasruddin told the warden. "Otherwise, he's going to be a terrible influence on all the innocent men you have locked up here."

Inspired by: The Wit and Wisdom of Nasraddin Hodja by Nejat Muallimoglu
Notes: This story is on p. 64 of the book.

~ 19. The Beggar and the Food Vendor ~

Laura Gibbs · 19. The Beggar and the Food Vendor

A beggar eating a crust of stale bread stood next to a shish-kebab vendor, inhaling deeply. The smell made even his stale bread taste good.
"You must pay for the smell!" shouted the vendor.
When the poor man couldn't pay, the vendor took him to court.
Nasruddin was the judge.
He listened to them both, and then he took some coins from his pocket, cupped his hands, and shook the coins.
"Do you hear that sound?" he asked the vendor.
"Yes," said the vendor, perplexed.
"The sound of the coins is payment for the smell of the meat. Case dismissed!"

Inspired by: Nasreddin Hodja compiled by Alpay Kabacali.
Notes: This story is on p. 26 of the book.