by Sugeng Hariyanto
Fruits for the King
When King Tamerlane invaded Turkey he heard news about a man named Nasreddin Hojja who lived in Akshehir. He went there and set a camp. Then he sent a company of soldiers to invite Nasreddin to go to the camp.
But Nasreddin thought that the king would kill anybody he met. So, he refused the invitation. The king realized that Nasreddin did not want to see him soon. Then he sent a battalion of army to force him to come to the camp.
Nasreddin was very afraid. He said, "Okey, I'm coming soon."
The army went back and reported to the king that Nasreddin would come soon. The king waited for him for several hours. But he did not come yet. The king lost his temper. He jumped onto his horse and rode to Nasreddin's house.
The people who knew that the king was coming cried out, "Nasreddin, hurry up. The king comes here!"
Nasreddin put on his clothes quickly and walked to the camp. When he turned right at a very narrow road the king also arrived there. The horse was very frightened by his sudden coming. It jumped so high that the king fell down from its back.
The king was very angry and commanded his soldiers to arrest Nasreddin.
"Why do you arrest me?" asked him.
"You will be hung in the city square. You have hurt the king," answered the soldier.
"Bring me to the king first," said he.
The soldiers brought him to the king.
Nasreddin asked, "What's my fault so that I should be punished?"
"You bring a bad luck for me," answered the king.
"Your Majesty, who bring a bad luck, Your Majesty or I?" said him, "If I bring a bad luck to Your Majesty, of course, Your Majesty has fallen down and died.If it were so, it would be fair to punish me. But it's Your Majesty that brings a bad luck to me."
"How can you say that?" asked the king.
Nasreddin answered, "The proof is when Your Majesty met me, I will be punished. So, I don't think that I bring bad luck."
The king thought that Nasreddin was right. He decided to forgive him. Before he let Nasreddin go, he asked a question, "Say Nasreddin, am I a tyrant or an educated man?"
Nasreddin answered, "Your Majesty is not a tyrant nor an educated man. We, the people, are the tyrants so God sends Your Majesty to punish us."
The king was very happy with the answer and let Nasreddin go.
Several months later the fruit season came. Nasreddin said to his wife, "Let's pick some ripe figs and present them to the king."
They went to the garden and started picking some figs. His wife saw that the pears were also ripe. She said, "Nasreddin, see the pears are also ripe. Let's pick some, too, and present them to the king."
"No, let's not. Just do what I ask you to do," answered he.
Some minutes later, his wife saw an apple tree which was rich with big and fresh apples. She said, "See the apples. They are good to be presented to the king. Let's pick some of them. They are much better than figs."
"No. I have said you pick what I ask you to," said Nasreddin.
At last they got a basketful of ripe figs. The next day Nasreddin brought them to the king.
"Please, sit down," said the king. He put the basket on the small table before him. Then he opened the basket. He was angry that the fruits were only figs, the very cheap and not delicious fruits. He took the figs and threw Nasreddin with them one buy one until nothing was left in the basket.
Nasreddin lifted his face and saw the king. He murmured, "Thank God."
The king was wondering why Nasreddin thanked God after being thrown with a basketful of figs. He asked, "Why do you thank God?"
"Your Majesty, I thank God because I have done what I thought," answered him.
The king was curious. He asked further, "What have you thought?"
"Your Majesty, this morning when my wife and I were picking these figs, my wife suggested that we pick also the pears and apples for Your Majesty. I thought that we shouldn't. I thought that we should present Your Majesty the soft ripe figs instead of the apples and pears. I thank God because I didn't do what my wife had suggested. If I did my wife's suggestion to pick the apples and pears, of course, I would have lost my head now."
But Nasreddin thought that the king would kill anybody he met. So, he refused the invitation. The king realized that Nasreddin did not want to see him soon. Then he sent a battalion of army to force him to come to the camp.
Nasreddin was very afraid. He said, "Okey, I'm coming soon."
The army went back and reported to the king that Nasreddin would come soon. The king waited for him for several hours. But he did not come yet. The king lost his temper. He jumped onto his horse and rode to Nasreddin's house.
The people who knew that the king was coming cried out, "Nasreddin, hurry up. The king comes here!"
Nasreddin put on his clothes quickly and walked to the camp. When he turned right at a very narrow road the king also arrived there. The horse was very frightened by his sudden coming. It jumped so high that the king fell down from its back.
The king was very angry and commanded his soldiers to arrest Nasreddin.
"Why do you arrest me?" asked him.
"You will be hung in the city square. You have hurt the king," answered the soldier.
"Bring me to the king first," said he.
The soldiers brought him to the king.
Nasreddin asked, "What's my fault so that I should be punished?"
"You bring a bad luck for me," answered the king.
"Your Majesty, who bring a bad luck, Your Majesty or I?" said him, "If I bring a bad luck to Your Majesty, of course, Your Majesty has fallen down and died.If it were so, it would be fair to punish me. But it's Your Majesty that brings a bad luck to me."
"How can you say that?" asked the king.
Nasreddin answered, "The proof is when Your Majesty met me, I will be punished. So, I don't think that I bring bad luck."
The king thought that Nasreddin was right. He decided to forgive him. Before he let Nasreddin go, he asked a question, "Say Nasreddin, am I a tyrant or an educated man?"
Nasreddin answered, "Your Majesty is not a tyrant nor an educated man. We, the people, are the tyrants so God sends Your Majesty to punish us."
The king was very happy with the answer and let Nasreddin go.
Several months later the fruit season came. Nasreddin said to his wife, "Let's pick some ripe figs and present them to the king."
They went to the garden and started picking some figs. His wife saw that the pears were also ripe. She said, "Nasreddin, see the pears are also ripe. Let's pick some, too, and present them to the king."
"No, let's not. Just do what I ask you to do," answered he.
Some minutes later, his wife saw an apple tree which was rich with big and fresh apples. She said, "See the apples. They are good to be presented to the king. Let's pick some of them. They are much better than figs."
"No. I have said you pick what I ask you to," said Nasreddin.
At last they got a basketful of ripe figs. The next day Nasreddin brought them to the king.
"Please, sit down," said the king. He put the basket on the small table before him. Then he opened the basket. He was angry that the fruits were only figs, the very cheap and not delicious fruits. He took the figs and threw Nasreddin with them one buy one until nothing was left in the basket.
Nasreddin lifted his face and saw the king. He murmured, "Thank God."
The king was wondering why Nasreddin thanked God after being thrown with a basketful of figs. He asked, "Why do you thank God?"
"Your Majesty, I thank God because I have done what I thought," answered him.
The king was curious. He asked further, "What have you thought?"
"Your Majesty, this morning when my wife and I were picking these figs, my wife suggested that we pick also the pears and apples for Your Majesty. I thought that we shouldn't. I thought that we should present Your Majesty the soft ripe figs instead of the apples and pears. I thank God because I didn't do what my wife had suggested. If I did my wife's suggestion to pick the apples and pears, of course, I would have lost my head now."
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