by Sugeng Hariyanto
Foolish Orders
When Nasreddin was still a young boy, he was very naughty. He always disobeyed what his father asked him to do. Very often, he did something contradictory to his father's order. Therefore, if his father ordered him to do something, he preferred giving contradictory order rather than straight forward one. If he, for example, wanted his son to come into the house, he would say, "Get out, son."
One day, the father and son were walking home from the market. They brought a donkey with them. They put some sacks of flour on its back. There was a river about 2 kilometres before their house. When they were crossing the river, one of the flour sacks slid down from the back of the donkey.
The father said, "Nasreddin , the sack is sliding down. Push it down firmly."
The father, of course, hoped that Nasreddin would lift the sack instead of pushing it. But that time Nasreddin even did the order as it was said. He pushed the sack so that he drowned it into the river. Soon it disappeared into the water.
Seeing that, the father got angry. He said, "You're a fool, Nasreddin !"
Nasreddin answered, "Sorry, Dad. I obeyed your order now just to show how foolish your orders are."
Back
One day, the father and son were walking home from the market. They brought a donkey with them. They put some sacks of flour on its back. There was a river about 2 kilometres before their house. When they were crossing the river, one of the flour sacks slid down from the back of the donkey.
The father said, "Nasreddin , the sack is sliding down. Push it down firmly."
The father, of course, hoped that Nasreddin would lift the sack instead of pushing it. But that time Nasreddin even did the order as it was said. He pushed the sack so that he drowned it into the river. Soon it disappeared into the water.
Seeing that, the father got angry. He said, "You're a fool, Nasreddin !"
Nasreddin answered, "Sorry, Dad. I obeyed your order now just to show how foolish your orders are."
Back
