Wisdom Story Hub

Once upon a time, in the kingdom of Silbaripuram, King Vikraman ruled over the land. Once, the monsoon season lasted longer than usual, causing significant damage to many crops. ​Since the mango blossoms had fallen off in the heavy rain, there was a severe shortage of mangoes. Meanwhile, one morning, the King woke up with a craving to eat a mango. ​Although he asked his servants for one, they were in a state of distress: "Where will we find mangoes?" ​They grumbled to each other in fear. However, when they tried to explain the situation to the King, he became angry. The servants ran all over the kingdom, but they could only find spoiled mangoes. Thus, time passed, and it became evening. ​Just then, a traveler arrived in the palace courtyard carrying a small basket. The servants stopped him and asked, "What is in that basket?" ​The traveler said, trembling, "I am a traveler who has brought Salem mangoes as a gift for the King." ​Immediately, the serva...

 Once upon a time, Mulla Hoja was working as a servant in a rich man's mansion. One day, his master asked him to go to the market and buy ten chicken eggs. Hoja wasn't a big fan of bringing eggs, because you have to be very careful to make sure they don't bump into each other and break. And Hoja, well, his mind was often on other things. So, Hoja came up with a trick—he decided to buy five eggs today, and the remaining five when he went to the market again tomorrow. He figured half the eggs would only need half the caution. But the master noticed that there were only five eggs in the kitchen and he got angry. "What an idiot you are! I asked for ten and you brought back half! You are a foolish servant who doesn't take any precaution." The next day, the master fell ill. He immediately asked Hoja to go get a doctor. Hoja grumbled to himself, "Now my master cannot call me careless anymore." Hoja came back with the doctor, and he also brought along two ot...

 One day, Mulla Hoja met a music maestro on the road. The musician invited Hoja to his house. His aim was to show off his musical heritage and instruments to Hoja. Hoja understood this perfectly. Inside the house, every room was filled with different musical instruments. The maestro showed each one to Hoja. But Hoja wasn't particularly interested in any of them. The maestro played each instrument for him, but Hoja was thinking of something else: "I wonder if I'll get something to eat here?" Then, with a hint of arrogance, the maestro asked, "Which instrument's sound did you like the most?" Hoja slyly presented his own request: "The sound I like the most is the one made when serving food clashes against a plate!"

 Here are a few stories that show off Hoja's sense of humor. One day, Hoja was walking along a path. He had been invited to a wedding at a rich man's house, so he was wearing his best silk clothes. He was also wearing the most beautiful turban he owned. As he was walking proudly, a stranger approached him from the opposite direction and asked, "Could you please read this letter for me?" Hoja replied, "I don't know how to read this." Hearing this, the stranger scoffed and said, "I thought a person with such an expensive turban would know how to read." Immediately, Hoja felt angry. He took off his turban, placed it on the man's head, and said, "Huh! Now you try to read it with the turban on!" On another occasion, Hoja had to travel on a sailing ship. There were twenty passengers along with the captain. During the journey, a very strong wind began to blow. No matter how the captain changed the direction of the sail, it seemed like th...

 Hoja Mulla has many stories where he makes clever moves, but there are also many times when he says and does foolish things. Here's a story of Hoja's foolishness. Once, Hoja got the news that a donkey race was being held in the town. He told his wife, "Don't give our donkey any food for two days. I have to take it to the race in town." His wife, Amina, was obedient. He arrived at the race with the hungry donkey. The contestants mounted their donkeys, and the race began. Suddenly, from atop his donkey, Hoja showed a stick with food tied to it in front of the donkey. Thinking it could get the food in front of it, the donkey galloped forward, leaving the other donkeys behind. But did Hoja give it the food? After running for a little while, the starving donkey collapsed! Seeing Hoja fly off it and fall to the ground, the spectators jeered at him! When Hoja got home, his wife made fun of him. Hoja then said, "That donkey didn't understand the cleverness I sho...

 We can read some humorous situations from Hodja's life:  * One day, Hodja was on his way to the market with his donkey. The donkey went up the slope very quickly but stopped and slowed down on the way down. At that moment, Hodja said, "You have no intelligence at all." Immediately, the donkey frowned in a questioning manner, looking at Hodja as if to say, "Who is the donkey here?"  * Hodja tried to sell his old house. When a person came, Hodja said he would give him the house for a hundred dinars, including everything. The person then asked, "How much did you price the house at?" Hodja replied, "I don't know that. But the price of the dog tied in the front yard is a hundred dinars."  * Once, while Hodja was riding on his donkey, a traveler asked, "How much is your donkey worth?" Hodja immediately replied, "If you want, you can buy both of us (the donkey and Hodja) together. Just pay the price of one."  * One day, as H...

 Once, in a place where many people had gathered, a man named Hoja made a public statement: "My donkey is smarter than the Finance Minister!" As soon as people heard this, they quickly relayed the matter to the Minister. The Minister, in turn, informed the King and demanded that Hoja be given a fitting punishment. The King summoned Hoja and angrily inquired about the matter. Hoja then said, "What I said is true, Your Majesty. And I have proof." Immediately, the King stated, "If you have made such a malicious statement without a clear reason, then prepare to accept a fitting punishment." Hoja continued, "There is a wooden bridge on the way to the market that I regularly take with my donkey. Once, my donkey's front legs got stuck in a gap in that bridge and it fell. That was many years ago. But since then, the donkey has never fallen on that bridge again. That is, the donkey walks across the bridge with great care. However, the Minister's case i...

 This is a humorous anecdote, likely from the stories of Mullah Once, the Hoja and a doctor (physician) were walking along a road, talking. Just then, a man from a large, respectable manor in the area ran up to them, looking for the doctor. "Doctor, please come quickly to the lord's house. He has a severe stomach ache!" The Hoja went with the doctor to the house. When they entered the room, the doctor said, "The fruit you ate is what caused this stomach ache. I will give you medicine." The sick man agreed, "That's right. I ate a few too many bananas." Everyone was astonished by the doctor's insightful diagnosis. As they were walking back, the Hoja asked the doctor, "How did you know he had eaten fruit?" The doctor immediately chuckled, "Oh, that was simple! There were several banana peels lying under his bed!" The Hoja Tries His Hand at Medicine Sometime later, the Hoja was called to a house to cure an illness. When he arriv...

 Hodja Mullah had the experience of visiting several homes alongside some physicians. Furthermore, he used to administer various herbal remedies that he concocted on his own. Some treatments would succeed. Others might fail. Nevertheless, people believed that the Hodja possessed some special abilities. One day, a friend came to visit the Hodja at his house. He had come seeking a remedy for his stomach ache. The Hodja asked, 'What did you eat this morning?' 'I ate two eggs. I suspect they might have been slightly rotten.' Immediately, the Hodja made him lie back in a chair. Then, he brought drops from the cabinet in his treatment room and put them into the man's eyes. The friend asked, bewildered, 'My stomach hurts, not my eyes!' The Hodja replied, 'You ate two rotten eggs this morning because you couldn't see them. The first thing that needs treatment is your eyes!'"

 There were many people in that town who loved and respected Hoja. However, some people were determined to mock Hoja whenever they saw him. Once, as Hoja was walking along the road, a rich man came towards him. He was a miser and arrogant. Mocking those without money was a pastime for him. When he saw Hoja, he said, 'Hey, Hoja, everyone is saying that you keep company with the Devil (or Satan).' Hoja started walking away without giving a reply. Then, the rich man (or master/boss) continued, 'Hey, stand there! Tell me what the form of the devil with you looks like, and then go!' Hoja immediately replied, 'If I tell you, sir, you won't understand it exactly. If you want to see it clearly, go home and look in the mirror!'"

 There were some friends in that town who used to trick Hoja. One day they said, "When we see Hoja, let's tell him the world is ending tomorrow, and then kill and eat his good goat." They ran and gathered around Hoja, panting, "Hoja, did you hear? A divine person has predicted that the world is ending tomorrow!" At first, Hoja didn't understand what they meant. He asked, "And what are we supposed to do about that?" The friends said in unison, "Hoja, since the world is ending tomorrow anyway, we must celebrate today! We should kill your goat and make a curry out of it." The moment he realized their deception, they had already surrounded and killed the goat. Since Hoja had worked as a cook, they all entrusted him with making the curry. In the meantime, Hoja said, "Friends, why are you sitting here in my house like formal guests? The world is ending tomorrow! There's no need for formality here. So, take off all your clothes in this ...

 The Hodja had cheated many people. At the same time, others had made various attempts to portray the Hodja as a fool. One day, as the Hodja was walking along the road, a friend approached him. The friend asked the Hodja, "Hodja, suppose your ox gored and killed my cow. What would be your reaction?" The Hodja replied, "It's natural for animals to gore each other. Why should we humans interfere in that?" Immediately, the man said, "I knew you were a large-hearted person, Hodja! Whew. I feel relieved. I made a slight mistake in what I said. My ox actually gored and killed the Hodja's cow." At once, the Hodja said, "I too made a slight mistake. I don't have a problem with this, but we must follow the country's law. I will check the law books and tell you how much compensation I am owed!" Hearing this, the man turned pale.

 Hoja had a habit of giving a bizarre counter-attack to anyone who tried to trick him. Once, Hoja and his friend were traveling together. After walking for quite a distance, they felt exhausted. Thinking they could eat something from a hotel, they arrived in front of one. Just before entering, they checked the coins in their pockets and were disappointed. The total coins they both had were only enough to buy a single glass of milk. The two friends became engrossed in thought. Hoja suggested, "Let's buy milk with these coins and then split it in half and drink it." His friend agreed. Accordingly, a glass of milk was brought and placed on the hotel table. At that moment, the friend said, "Hoja, first you drink half the milk and give the rest to me. I will add the sugar I have and drink the remainder." Hoja was stunned by his friend's selfishness! Immediately, Hoja walked to the hotel kitchen, got a little salt, and after putting the salt in the milk, he declar...

 Hoja had his own unique way of somehow overcoming all his faults, shortcomings, and helplessness. That is, even if they were mistakes, he would hold his ground by presenting some counter-argument. Here is the next story of that kind— One day, while Hoja was walking along the main road, a wealthy man from the area told him, "Hey, you must get me a dog for my manor. It should be one with great ferocity and strength." Hoja searched for a good dog in many places but couldn't find any. Finally, he found a stray dog wandering on the road. With that dog, Hoja arrived at the wealthy man's courtyard. The master was furious when he saw the skeletal dog standing before him! "Hoja, did I ask you for one that is all skin and bones like this? Where is its ferocity and strength?" Immediately, Hoja employed a trick to hold his ground: "No matter what kind of dog it is, your strength, wisdom, and valor will be transferred to this dog through association. So, there is n...

 A summer was troubling Hoja's country more severely than usual. Due to the drought everywhere, numerous vows, offerings, and prayers were made, but to no avail. The King of the country called a meeting. At that time, some people suggested to the King, "Your Majesty, there is a widespread belief that our Nasruddin Hoja is a divine man (or holy man). So, why don't we summon him?" The King agreed with the suggestion. Hoja appeared before the King. Hoja said, "I need a bowl of water. It's to wash my shirt." Immediately, water was brought. Hoja squatted on the ground, took off his shirt, and began dipping and washing it in the water. The King and his courtiers stood silently for a long time, thinking this must be some trick or ritual to bring rain. When his patience ran out, the King asked, "Hoja, what exactly are you doing? There is no sign of rain at all!" Hoja immediately replied, "I'm just testing a common technique. It's usually t...

 One day, Hojja was walking along a path and reached the foot of a tree where a group of people were gathered, talking. They asked Hojja, "Hey! Mullakka, we heard you travelled to Mecca. Is that true?" Hojja replied: "What you heard is true. I even stayed in Saudi Arabia for several days." Since they had some doubts, one person asked, "What is the Arabic word for 'camel'?" Hojja scoffed, "Do you only want to know the name of such a large animal?" Immediately, another person asked, "Then, what is the Arabic word for 'ant'?" Hojja chuckled again, "Do you want to know the name of such an insignificant creature?" Suddenly, someone asked, "Forget the big and the small, then what is the name of a medium-sized 'lamb'?" Hojja, without showing his surprise, said, "That is a good question. I was staying in a house where a goat gave birth. But before they could name the lamb, didn't I return to ...

 The friendship between the King and Hojja did not sit well with many of the palace courtiers. To prevent Hojja from coming to the court, they devised a trick. They went up to the King and said, "Your Majesty, Hojja doesn't even know how to read or write. Associating with such a person will diminish your own wisdom and abilities." The King said, "I don't believe what you are saying. I will call him and have him write something right in front of me." At the King's request, Hojja arrived at the court. The King said, "I am eager to see your beautiful handwriting. Write a letter on this paper here." Hojja, realizing their trap, said, "Please forgive me, Your Majesty. Five years ago, a fight broke out because of a letter I had written. I took an oath that I would never write anything again." The courtiers were well-prepared. Immediately, one of them handed the King an old letter that Hojja had supposedly written. The King ridiculed Hojja, ...

 Once upon a time, Hojja had money with him. One day, a neighbour came to his house to meet him. "Hojja, I need 50 dinars as a loan. I will return it next week." Hojja immediately took the money from the cupboard and handed it over to him. At that time, Hojja muttered, "Hmm! This fellow has a history of never returning money once he borrows it. No worries, he will never even come near my house again. Ha... ha..." One week passed. The next morning, the same man knocked on Hojja's door. Seeing him from inside the house, Hojja muttered, "He must have come to ask for an extension on the repayment time." The man handed the bag of money to Hojja, thanked him, and walked back. At that moment, Hojja muttered again, "He has broken my trust. He gave the money back." Two months later. One morning, the very same person who had borrowed money before came to see Hojja. "I have an urgent need for money. Please lend me 100 dinars. I will return it with ...

 Once, Hojja did not have a single coin with him. He was worried, wondering how he could manage to get a few coins. He had already borrowed money from all his acquaintances. After thinking a lot, an idea struck him. He went to the market. On a board in his hand, he had written: "I will give you a clear answer to any two of your questions! In return, 10 coins must be paid as my fee." Seeing this, a merchant approached Hojja and asked, "Isn't 10 coins too much for just two questions?" Hojja replied, "It is too much." The merchant continued, "Isn't cheating people like this a big mistake?" Hojja agreed, "It is a mistake." Immediately, the merchant reacted, "But I was just about to ask my first question!" Hojja then said, "I have answered your two questions and, in return, I have received the 10 coins. Now you can leave." The merchant walked away without arguing.

 For a long time, Mulla Hojja used to tell his friends that he had to go on a long-distance journey. One day, he set off in the morning. But what happened? After walking for quite a distance, he felt extremely tired. So, feeling that he couldn't complete the journey, he walked back. He reached home late at night. However, the sight he saw there amazed Hojja. Because a thief, having learned about Hojja's journey, had already arrived there for the robbery. All the household goods were neatly packed and stacked. The thief had already carried some things to his own house. Hojja hid and watched as the thief carried the remaining items on his head. Then, without making a sound, Hojja followed the thief's route and reached his house. There, Hojja climbed onto the bed, lay flat on his back, and fell asleep. The thief was in the kitchen making tea. After a while, when he entered the front room, he was shocked! A person was sleeping on the bed. The thief yelled angrily, "Who are...