No one paid any attention to him. The effendi, however, grew curious. `Money?' he thought. `There is always a way to earn it, but it doesn't happen every day to listen to three incontrovertible truths. If I carry the case for him I'll become more intelligent.' He arose, picked up the case with his carrying pole and followed the lord toward his home.

As they walked, the effendi very humbly asked the lord to speak. The lord replied, `Listen carefully. If somebody tells you that it is better to have an empty stomach than a full one, you must absolutely not believe him.'

`Wonderful!' exclaimed the effendi. `And what is the second truth?'

`If somebody tells you that to go on foot is better than to go on horseback, at any cost you must not believe him.'

`Right! So right!' said the effendi. `It's such a pleasure to listen to such profound truths! And what is the third truth?'

`Listen,' said the rich lord. `If somebody tells you that in this world there is somebody more idiotic than you, for heaven's sake you must not believe him.'

The effendi listened to him attentively, then suddenly opened the hand which which was steadying his carrying pole and---crash!---the case burst open on the ground. Pointing to the broken pieces of porcelain, the effendi said to the lord, `Listen, if somebody tells you that your porcelain has not broken, for heaven's sake you must not believe him!'

Hoja and the Blanket

Nasreddin Hoja was awakened one night by the cries of two quarreling men in front of his house. Wrapping his blanket tightly around his shoulders, he rushed outside to separate the men who had come to blows. But when he tried to reason with them, one of them snatched the blanket off Hoja's shoulders and ran away. Nasreddin Hoja, very weary and perplexed, returned to his house.

"What was the quarrel about?" his wife asked. "About our blanket," replied Nasreddin Hoja. "The blanket is gone, the quarrel is over."

Hoja and the Missing Meat

(cont.>