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"Have trust in Allah, quoth the Hodja, but don't forget to tie up your camel." Mounted on a platform by the wool market in Konya Nasrudin was teaching his followers and anyone else who wished to listen, to abide by wisdom and their own foresight. For by that time the crowd trusted and obeyed the word of the Hodja: "The wise will do what I say", he said, "and not what I do. The common people will do what I do, but not what I say. As for the fools, they will call my stories "jokes". The fools will laugh, whatever I say or do. If they would listen to me, I might be saying something foolish. Now, let's see who heeds my words:" A wandering dervish, who grew irritated to see everyone open-mouthed with admiration for such a simpleton, shouted from the crowd: "They listen to you for the one-eyed is king in the land of the blind. But I can tell you one thing: Here is one man you cannot move with cunning words. And even less will I obey a fool like you." "Is that so!" said the Hoca. "Why don't you come up here to prove it?" The dervish consented and mounted on the podium ready to dispute. Bowing respectfully, Nasrudin invited him: "Please take place here on my left". Which the dervish proudly did, bowing in his turn. "Even better", added the Mullah changing his mind and bowing again, "stand here on my right hand". The dervish bowed back with dignity and moved to the right. "You know", concluded Hoca, "I think that you are a nice obeying person. Why don't you go back to your place and let me continue my teaching?"

(c) Copyright 1998-2004 Ioan Tenner