The seller of wisdom
There once lived a stout little preacher in a Turkish town. His name was Nasrudin shah. Nasrudin was a simple man who gave free advice to people. In turn, the people loved and respected him.
One day, Nasrudin’s wife came back in a bad mood from the public bath. She had gone there to have a bath and relax. Unfortunately, the attendants kept asking her to move from one cubicle to another. They wanted to give the best ones to the wives and daughters of merchants. This annoyed the good lady a great deal. She returned home with the firm belief that only merchants were of any importance.
When Nasrudin shah came back home in the evening, he saw his wife’s face. One look and he knew there was trouble was trouble in store. He did not have long to wait for the news.
`You must become a merchant,’ she declared. `What!’ exclaimed Nasrudin shah, `A merchant? I do not have any money. Have you thought of that?’
`Money or no money,’ said his wife firmly. `If you won’t become a merchant, I will leave you’.
Nasrudin shah realized there was no use arguing with her. She would to listen to reason. `Very well’, he said, `give me twenty –four hours to work out something.’
Nasrudin shah tossed about restlessly all night. What was he to do?’
The next morning, he set off early on his donkey. All through his hot day, he wandered about thinking. Suddenly, his eyes fell on is little grey donkey and he jumped up in excitement. May be he could sell the donkey and get some money.
He rode to the market and sold his donkey to a man. After much haggling, he got twenty gold coins for the animal. It was enough to rent out a stall in the market for a month. He had no money left to get anything to sell.
The next morning saw Nasrudin shah open shop in the market. Unlike other merchants, he had nothing to sell. Instead, he had an earthen pot in one corner. Every day, Nasrudin shah rolled p the shutters in the morning and shut them at night. His wife, like those of other merchants, now got special attention at the public bath.
Day after day, he sat in his empty shop. He spent the day nodding at passersby and exchanging bits of news with those who stopped to chat. People were amused to see him but were used to his strange ways.
One day, the mighty Tamer lane passed by the shop. He stopped at the shop in surprise. `What’s this!’ he exclaimed. `My clever Shah has a shop with nothing to sell!’
Nasrudin shah was never at a loss for words. He replied quickly, `What greater good is there than wisdom, you’re Majesty?’ he pointed at the earthen pot in the corner and added, `it is wisdom I have to sell.’
`And what is the charge for one bit of wisdom?’ asked Tamer lane.
`One gold coin’, was the reply.
`All right hen, here’s a gold coin. Sell me wisdom for its worth.’
Nasrudin took out a scroll from the pot and wrote a saying on it. Tamer lane looked at the large flowing writing that read-
Do not do anything without first considering its end.
Tamer lane farmed the sating and hung it on the wall of his room. He began to read it aloud everyday.
As it happened, Tamer lane’s ministers were plotting to kill him at that time. The terrible tasks have been given to his barber, in exchange for high post. As he lifted the razor in his trembling hand, Tamer lane read out the saying-
Do not do anything without first considering its end.
The terrified barber thought is secret was out. He dropped the razor and fell at Tamer lane’s feet, begging for mercy.
Tamer lane heard the barber’s confession in stunned silence. He rounded up the traitors and had them punished. Then he sent for the shah.
`Your wisdom saved my life today. It was, in fact, worth more than one gold coin’.
He gave Nasrudin a purse of gold. Then he made him in charge of a province.
Thus, Nasrudin shah, seller of wisdom, was successful as a merchant.
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