Nasreddin Hodja is portrayed as a wise man and a simpleton at the same time.
A statue of Nasreddin Hodja riding a donkey in Ankara, Turkey.
Today, his stories ranges in several hundreds.
Though not all of them are authentic, they are all part of the Hodja folklore.
There are several monuments to Nasreddin Hodja in Turkey, and elsewhere around Europe.
Most of them depict Hodja riding a donkey backwards.
Nasreddin Hodjas statue in Brussels.
Photo credit:quarsan/Flickr
Donkeys often feature in Hodjas stories.
“But Mulla,” the friend exclaimed.
“I can hear it behind that wall!
““Whom do you believe,” the Mulla replied indignantly, “the donkey or your Mulla?
Witticism and humor are the key ingredients of every Nasreddin Hodja story.
Here is another example:
Once Nasreddin was invited to deliver a sermon.
When he got on the pulpit, he asked, Do you know what I am going to say?
and left.The people felt embarrassed and called him back again the next day.
This time, when he asked the same question, the people replied yes.
and left.Now the people were really perplexed.
They decided to try one more time and once again invited the Mulla to speak the following week.
Once again he asked the same question Do you know what I am going to say?
Sometimes Hodja would make a fool out of himself to humor others.
You are going to fall down.Hodja ignored the man and kept on axing the branch.
Sure enough, the branch broke and he fell to the ground.
In spite of the bruises, Hodja got up and ran to the man.Hey you!
A statue of Nasreddin Hodja cutting a tree branch in Aksehir, Turkey.
Photo credit:galpay/Flickr
At other times, he went to great lengths to pull anothers leg.
One day, Hodja borrowed a large cauldron from his neighbor, and dutifully returned it.
But he left a small pot inside.
“Why not?”
thought the neighbor to himself.
“Perhaps there will be another little pot inside when he returns it.
“But this time the Hodja did not return the cauldron.
“My dear friend,” replied the Hodja.
“I have bad news.
Your cauldron has died, and is now in her grave.
“The neighbor became furious.
A cauldron does not live, and it cannot die, he shouted.
Return it to me at once!
““One moment!”
If a cauldron can give birth to a child, then it also can die.
“And the neighbor never again saw his cauldron.
And Nasreddin Hodja, to the delight of his fellow villagers, never disappointed.
A statue of Nasreddin Hodja in Bukhara, Uzbekistan.
Photo credit:ThalerGy/Panoramio
A statue of Nasreddin Hodja in Bukhara, Uzbekistan.
Photo credit:Faqscl/Wikimedia
Close-up of the statue.
Photo credit:Faqscl/Wikimedia
Another statue in Yenisehir, Turkey.
Photo credit:Dennis Jarvis/Flickr
A statue of Nasreddin Hodja at Incirlik Air Base Turkey.
Photo credit: Senior Airman Nicole Sikorski/US Air Force
Sources:Wikipedia/Jeremy Schiff/All About Turkey/vsuete.com
