Inggris : Sugeng Hariyanto
Nasreddin and Three Wise Man
There were three wise men who were going around the country. They wanted to get the answers to their questions. One day they got to Nasreddin's town.
The citizens asked Nasreddin to represent them to meet the wise men. He met them in front of his house; and the people were standing around them to see whether Nasreddin could answer their questions.
The first wise man stepped forward and asked Nasreddin the first question, "Nasreddin, where is the centre of this earth?"
He answered, "Here is the centre of the earth, just beneath my legs."
The man was surprised and said, "How can you prove it?"
"If you don't believe me, measure it yourself," said Nasreddin.
"Why don't you measure it yourself, Nasreddin?" asked the man.
"I don't need to because I believe myself," answered he.
The first man could not say anything further. The second man raised a question to Nasreddin, "How many stars are there in the sky?"
Nasreddin answered relaxedly, "The stars are as many as fur of my donkey."
"How can you prove your answer?" asked the second man.
Nasreddin answered, "If you don't believe me, count them yourself and you will know the truth."
Hearing the answer, the man got angry. He said, "That's a silly answer. How can a man count the fur of a donkey?"
Nasreddin answered back, "Well, if it is a silly answer, your question is a sillier one. How can a man count the stars?"
The second man could not protest any further. Then it was the last wise man's turn to ask a question. He was quite anoyed by Nasreddin's answer. He said, "Brother, you seem very familiar with your donkey. I believe you know everything about him."
Nasreddin answered, "Yes, I think so."
"Please tell me how many hairs are there on the tail of your donkey?" asked he.
Nasreddin was silent for a moment and then he said, "I know it exactly. The number of the hair is the same as the number of the hair of your beard."
The man quickly said, "You should be able to prove it, Brother!"
"That's very easy. You pull out one hair from the tail of my donkey, then I pull one out of your beard. Well, if they are the same in number, it means that I'm right," answered Nasreddin. He said further, "Will we prove it now?"
Of course, the man could not accept the way of counting the hair. Finally the three wise men went away. The people shouted happily and said that Nasreddin was the wisest man.
The citizens asked Nasreddin to represent them to meet the wise men. He met them in front of his house; and the people were standing around them to see whether Nasreddin could answer their questions.
The first wise man stepped forward and asked Nasreddin the first question, "Nasreddin, where is the centre of this earth?"
He answered, "Here is the centre of the earth, just beneath my legs."
The man was surprised and said, "How can you prove it?"
"If you don't believe me, measure it yourself," said Nasreddin.
"Why don't you measure it yourself, Nasreddin?" asked the man.
"I don't need to because I believe myself," answered he.
The first man could not say anything further. The second man raised a question to Nasreddin, "How many stars are there in the sky?"
Nasreddin answered relaxedly, "The stars are as many as fur of my donkey."
"How can you prove your answer?" asked the second man.
Nasreddin answered, "If you don't believe me, count them yourself and you will know the truth."
Hearing the answer, the man got angry. He said, "That's a silly answer. How can a man count the fur of a donkey?"
Nasreddin answered back, "Well, if it is a silly answer, your question is a sillier one. How can a man count the stars?"
The second man could not protest any further. Then it was the last wise man's turn to ask a question. He was quite anoyed by Nasreddin's answer. He said, "Brother, you seem very familiar with your donkey. I believe you know everything about him."
Nasreddin answered, "Yes, I think so."
"Please tell me how many hairs are there on the tail of your donkey?" asked he.
Nasreddin was silent for a moment and then he said, "I know it exactly. The number of the hair is the same as the number of the hair of your beard."
The man quickly said, "You should be able to prove it, Brother!"
"That's very easy. You pull out one hair from the tail of my donkey, then I pull one out of your beard. Well, if they are the same in number, it means that I'm right," answered Nasreddin. He said further, "Will we prove it now?"
Of course, the man could not accept the way of counting the hair. Finally the three wise men went away. The people shouted happily and said that Nasreddin was the wisest man.
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