The Misadventures of Nasreddin (Turkish Folktales)

Nasreddin Hodja is a “wise fool” from medieval Muslim folklore. Legend has it that he was born in Hortu Village in the 13th century in a country now known as Turkey. Some scholars believe he was a real person. He has a tomb, so perhaps it’s true.

As with many folktales, the stories are virile and reproduce at an alarming rate. There are hundreds of them now. You might recognize some, even if you’ve never heard of Nasreddin. For example, The Legend of the Spider King and His Astrologer is a popular legend in its own right, but it’s also been claimed by Nasreddin. Some of the stories also overlap with Jewish folktales.

These are some of my favourite Nasreddin stories. If you want more, Laura Gibbs has two hundred of them on her blog.

As is tradition, these are retellings in my own words.

Nasreddin and the Donkey

Never Trust a Donkey

One morning, a neighbour came by. “Nasreddin,” he began, “may I borrow your donkey for a day? I have some goods to transport to the market.”

Nasreddin didn’t want to lend the man his donkey, but he also didn’t want to spoil his reputation as a generous man.

“I’m sorry,” Nasreddin said. “My donkey isn’t here. I’ve already lent it to my brother.”

At that very moment, there was a loud bray from the stable. The neighbour’s eyes widened. “My friend, you told me your donkey wasn’t here!”

Nasreddin raised his hand and said, “Who are you going to believe? Me or the donkey?”

Sharing the Load

Nasreddin was riding his donkey through the market on a sweltering day, carrying a sack of onions in his hands.

A passerby saw Nasreddin struggling to keep hold of the bag of onions and sweating profusely. “Why don’t you load the sack of onions on the donkey instead of carrying it in your hands?” he asked.

Nasreddin shook his head. “The donkey already carries my weight. It’s the least I can do to carry the onions.”

Fickle Luck

Nasreddin bought a large bag of salt at the market and loaded it onto his donkey. The salt was heavy, and the donkey struggled under the load. When they reached a stream, the donkey tripped, and the salt dissolved in the water. The rest of the journey was much easier.

The next day, Nasreddin returned to the market. This time, he bought a large bag of wool. When they reached the stream, the donkey tried to replicate the accident from the day before. He threw himself into the stream, but the wool soaked up the water and became much heavier.

“You can’t expect to get lucky twice in a row!” Nasreddin chided.

The Donkey Boy’s Father

Nasreddin tied up his donkey outside the coffee house. While he was inside drinking coffee and arguing, a thief crept up and stole the donkey. The thief then put his eldest son in the donkey’s harness and left him fastened there.

When Nasreddin came out of the coffee shop, he found the boy tied up and asked him what had happened.

“I behaved poorly and a witch cursed me, transforming me into a donkey. But I’ve been good for a long time, so I have turned back into a boy!”

Nasreddin was sorry to lose his donkey, but so it goes. He wished the boy well and sent him on his way. “Make sure you don’t misbehave again!” Nasreddin called after him.

The next day, Nasreddin went to the market to buy a new donkey. There, he saw his old donkey standing next to a known thief. “I see your son has been misbehaving again,” he told the man. “And no wonder, with a father like you!”

Nasreddin the Smuggler

The border guard had grown old and retired. One day, he saw Nasreddin sitting at a food stand, enjoying a kebab.

“Ah, Nasreddin,” the former guard said. “There is something I must ask of you—something I must know before I die.”

“Go ahead,” Nasreddin replied.

“For many years, you rode back and forth across the border on that donkey of yours. Every day for ten years, I inspected what you were carrying. I went through your saddlebags, searched all the folds of your robes, and even looked inside your boots. I never found anything, but I’m no fool. I know you were smuggling something. What was it?”

Nasreddin smiled and said, “Donkeys.”

Nasreddin the Scoundrel

The Wild Ox

Nasreddin came running up to his neighbour, shouting, “There’s been a horrible accident!”

“What happened?” demanded his neighbour.

“Your ox escaped and gored my goat to death,” Nasreddin explained. “It was my most treasured goat. Someone will have to pay!”

“No, no, no,” his neighbour protested. “Surely you can’t hold me accountable for what my ox did. I had nothing to do with it.”

“I suppose that’s true,” said Nasreddin, relieved. “I’m sorry. I must have gotten mixed up. I meant to say that my ox got loose and gored your most treasured goat.”

The Boot Thief

One night, as Nasreddin was walking home, he saw the judge lying passed out drunk in a ditch. The judge had beautiful leather boots on, so Nasreddin crept up quietly and gently stole them.

The next morning, Nasreddin sauntered into the courtroom wearing the judge’s boots. The judge was in the middle of recounting how he’d been ambushed in an alleyway by a band of thieves.

Then, the judge spotted Nasreddin. “Where did you get those boots?” he growled.

“Last night, there was a drunken man in the streets,” Nasreddin explained. “He insisted that I take his boots, but he was very drunk. Maybe he made a mistake. I would gladly return them. Do you know who the very drunk man was?”

The judge glared at Nasreddin.

The Gold Coin

One day, Nasreddin got into an argument with a fruit vendor at the market, and the man slapped him across the face.

Nasreddin was furious, so he took the vendor to court, accusing him of assault. The judge ordered the him to pay Nasreddin one gold coin as recompense for the assault.

The vendor went home to fetch the coin, but Nasreddin soon grew impatient, so he slapped the judge across the face. “I’m going home, Your Honour,” he explained. “When the man returns, you can take the gold coin as recompense.”

The Rumour

Nasreddin was riding his donkey through the market one day, but it was too crowded. He whispered to a passerby, “Did you hear about the gold they found in the river to the south? They say pieces of gold are washed up on the shore!”

The man nudged his friend, and they spoke in hushed voices. The man selling fresh coconuts overheard them and took off at a quick pace, heading south.

Whispers spread throughout the market, and soon it was all but deserted.

Nasreddin went to a fruit vendor to buy some pomegranates. The vendor said, “Did you hear about the gold by the river to the south?”

Nasreddin replied, “I did hear about it. I said it, even. But I thought it was a lie! Oh, what a fool I was!” And he took off running for the river.

Nasreddin the Fool

The Mirror

Nasreddin was walking through the streets on a cool evening when he saw a mirror left against a wall.

“How strange,” Nasreddin murmured. “Who would throw away such a good mirror?”

He fetched the mirror, looked in it, and then put it right back up against the wall.

“Oh!” he exclaimed. “No wonder they threw the mirror away. Who would want to look at a face like that!”

The Stranger

Nasreddin heard that they were selling oranges in a village up the mountain. He had never been there before, but his donkey was good at picking his way up the steep slope, and the journey was not too hard.

When he arrived, he didn’t know any of the people there, and they stared at him as he passed by on his donkey. It made him feel uneasy. He kept his head down and tried not to attract attention.

When he saw the shop where they sold exotic fruits, he went cautiously in. “Hello,” said the merchant.

“Oh,” said Nasreddin. “Did you see me just now walk into your shop?”

“I did,” the merchant said with a puzzled expression on his face.

“And have you ever seen me before?” Nasreddin asked.

“No, never,” the merchant said.

Nasreddin was suspicious now. “Then how did you know it was me?”

The Moon

Nasreddin was arguing with a friend and an enemy at the local coffee shop one night, as he always did. This night, they were arguing about whether the sun or the moon was more important.

“The sun is far brighter and hotter and thus more important by far!” the others both agreed.

“Ah!” Nasreddin exclaimed. “Indeed, that is so. Yet you are wrong. The moon is more valuable because it comes out at night, when it is very dark, when we need light the most.”

Maidenless

Nasreddin was working as a labourer. Every day, he would take out his bread and cheese and complain about how miserable his lunch was. “Where is the kebab, pilav, pide, and dolma?”

“Why don’t you ask your wife to make you something better?” another labourer asked.

“I’m not married,” Nasreddin said.

“Then who makes your lunch?” the labourer asked.

“I do,” Nasreddin said.

The Briar’s Thorns

One night, Nasreddin was travelling down an unfamiliar road. He noticed a beautiful briar by the side, full of blossoming roses. He led his donkey off the path and into the shrub.

The briar was as full of thorns as roses, and the branches tore at Nasreddin’s robes. When he finally arrived home, he was covered in scrapes and cuts.

Nasreddin was relieved. He said to the donkey, “If this is the misfortune that awaited us in the beautiful briar, imagine what disasters must have lurked along the open road!”

The Parrot Fish

Nasreddin was riding through the forest one night when he noticed something strange perched in a tree. His eyesight wasn’t very good, and he couldn’t quite make out what it was.

Another man came along the road and saw Nasreddin squinting up at the tree. “What are you looking at?” he asked.

“Up there in the tree,” Nasreddin said. “It looks so much like a fish, but that would be absurd.”

The man, intrigued, came closer to see. “It looks like a parrot,” he said.

Nasreddin was distressed. “A fish in a tree that looks like a parrot? Now I’m even more confused.”

The Tiger Charm

Nasreddin went around his house, scattering sesame seeds. His neighbour came by and asked what he was doing.

“I’m scattering sesame seeds to keep the tigers away,” Nasreddin explained.

“I don’t understand,” his neighbour replied. “There aren’t any tigers here.”

“Precisely! That’s how I know it’s working.”

Nasreddin the Wise

Never Feed the Dog that Bites

As Nasreddin was coming home from the market, his neighbour’s dog rushed out and bit him. Nasreddin fled home, bandaged the wound, and waited for the dog to get distracted. Then he crept back over to his neighbour’s house to complain.

“I apologize,” his neighbour said. “It’s a new dog, and it’s territorial. Why don’t you toss a bone to the dog when you pass by? After a few days of that, the dog will come to like you.”

“But imagine the harm to my reputation!” Nasreddin complained.

His neighbour was confused. “What do you mean?”

“If the dogs learn that I throw bones to whoever bites me, they will all want to bite me!”

The Palace Guards

Nasreddin was walking by the imperial palace when he noticed all the guards on the walls, gazing down at the city streets. “Ho! What are you doing up there?” he shouted.

“We are guarding the walls to prevent thieves from climbing over,” the guards said.

“Then you are facing the wrong way!” Nasreddin replied.

Higher Than the Emperor

Nasreddin was riding his donkey through the forest on a calm night when he saw the Emperor’s hunting party making camp. He walked into the Imperial tent and sat down in the Chair of Honour.

The guard gasped and cried, “Who do you think you are? That seat is for guests of honour!”

“I am higher than a guest of honour,” Nasreddin said.

“Ah, perhaps you are a foreign duke?” the guard asked.

“Higher still,” Nasreddin said.

“A relative of the Emperor?” the guard asked, cautious now.

“I am even higher than that,” Nasreddin said.

“Oh! Are you the Emperor himself in disguise?” the guard asked fearfully.

“Higher,” Nasreddin said.

“Nobody is higher than the Emperor!” the guard screamed.

“Right at last! That is me,” Nasreddin said with a grin.

The King’s Gallows

The King had grown tired of the manipulators and liars always telling him exactly what he wanted to hear. He proclaimed that everyone who spoke the truth would be safe, and everyone who lied would be hung.

As the King was watching the gallows being built, Nasreddin walked by.

“Where you going?” the King asked.

“To be hanged!” Nasreddin replied.

“You are lying,” the King growled.

“Indeed I am!” cried Nasreddin. “But if you hang me, then it wasn’t a lie. In fact, you would be the liar, for you will have hung me for speaking the truth. So, what will it be? Off with both of our heads?”

The King abandoned his new decree and dismantled the gallows.

The Beggar’s Needs

Nasreddin was riding through town when a beggar asked him for a coin. Nasreddin recognized the man. “You’re the man I see drinking at the coffee shop, are you not?”

The beggar nodded.

“And I’ve seen you bathing at the bathhouse, drinking at the tavern, and buying shish-kebab at the market, yes?”

The beggar nodded again. Nasreddin gave him a gold coin.

Another beggar saw what happened and approached Nasreddin, asking for another coin. Nasreddin had never seen the man before. “I take it you don’t go to the coffee shop, the bathhouse, the tavern, or the market?” he asked.

The beggar shook his head. Nasreddin gave him a copper coin.

“I don’t understand,” the beggar complained.

“You don’t need as much,” Nasreddin replied.

Three Rights

Nasreddin was asked to judge a dispute between two powerful merchants, neither of whom he dared offend.

The first merchant presented his case, and Nasreddin listened carefully. When the man had finished, Nasreddin nodded and said, “Yes, you are right.”

The second merchant, feeling slighted, presented his case with even greater vigour. When he had finished, he waited for Nasreddin’s judgment. “You are right,” Nasreddin said.

The merchants were bewildered. “We cannot both be right!” they said.

Nasreddin smiled with relief. “Yes, that is true,” he said. “You are both right once again.”

The Sound of Coins

A merchant was peacefully selling shish kebabs when a street urchin came by, inhaling deeply, savouring the delicious aromas.

“Would you like to buy some?” the merchant asked.

“Oh no,” the urchin replied. “I just wanted to enjoy the smell.”

The merchant, having sold little that day, took great offense. “You must pay for the smell!” he yelled.

When the urchin refused, the merchant dragged him to court.

Nasreddin was the judge. After hearing the merchant’s case, Nasreddin asked the urchin, “Do you have any coins at all?”

“Yes,” the urchin admitted. “I have two. But I need them both!”

“That’s quite alright,” Nasreddin said. “Just give your purse a little shake.”

The urchin did as he was asked, and there was a clink of coins.

“Did you hear that sound?” Nasreddin asked the merchant.

“I did,” the merchant said, confused.

“Good,” Nasreddin said. “Let the sound of coins serve as payment for the smell of kebabs.”

The Crowded House

Nasreddin was woken up one morning by a quarrel outside his home. He went outside and saw his neighbor arguing with her husband. “What’s the matter?” Nasreddin asked.

“The house is much too small and crowded!” they complained.

“I have an idea. Bring all your chickens, sheep, and goats into the house,” Nasreddin suggested.

They were confused, but Nasreddin was known for his wisdom, so they did as he said. After a week, they couldn’t handle it any longer and went back to Nasreddin.

“Take out the chickens,” Nasreddin instructed.

“That’s a little better,” they admitted.

“Take out the sheep,” Nasreddin told them the next day.

They were relieved. “This is becoming livable again,” they said.

“Now, take out the goats,” Nasreddin said.

“Ah! This is much better! We have so much space! It’s so calm and quiet! Thank you, Nasreddin!”

The Bandits

Nasreddin was riding through the mountains when he was ambushed by a band of thieves. Unsure of where to flee, he closed his eyes and let the donkey choose the way. The donkey carried him through a narrow mountain pass, with the bandits close behind. Soon, they came upon a holy man making his way up the path.

“Make haste, for bandits come!” Nasreddin shouted.

“If I were in danger,” the dervish said, “God would have warned me.”

“Perhaps that’s why God sent me this way!” Nasreddin replied.

God’s Way

Nasredding came upon three boys arguing over a pile of walnuts. “What’s the matter?” Nasreddin asked.

“We don’t know how to divide the walnuts!” they said.

“Would you like to divide them the human way or God’s way?”

“God’s way, of course!” they said.

Nasreddin gave the first boy most of the walnuts. He gave the second boy the rest. The third got nothing.

All three boys were confused, and the third was quite angry. Nasreddin explained, “God gives more to some, less to others, and some get none. But remember, life itself is a gift from God! We must all be grateful!”

Similar Stories from Other Cultures

If you like Nasreddin’s stories, there are some other folktales you might like. The Man Who Never Lied is an African fable, yet it has very much the same feel. So, too, does The Man Who Looked for Cockroaches, from Mexico. The Citizen and the Traveller is a Scottish folktale. And then there is An Anecdote for Lowering Work Morale, from Germany.