~ A Storytelling World Honor Book Storytelling Collections
~ An Anne Izard Storytellers’ Choice Award Winner
“A fine pick and very highly recommended.” — Midwest Book Review
“A contemporary reworking of the tales (the stories fit for a general audience, at least) … to Suresha’s credit he has maintained the direct, unadorned style that is a hallmark of folk tales. … a delightful break from the everyday world for an hour or two.” — The Green Man Review
“Suresha identifies the real strength of Nasruddin’s stories in context to world literature and story performance, that is, its power to build bridges between cultures. … The point of these stories is to speak to the audience in the language and metaphors that are familiar.” — Storytelling, Self, Society
“These hilarious, and at times, ribald folk tales of the Turkish wise fool take the reader to another time and place, and share the spiritual lessons of Nasruddin. … The teaching stories included in this volume help to build bridges between cultures by exemplifying Arabic wisdom and universal human humor.”
— from the Preface by Ann Shapiro, Executive Director, Connecticut Storytelling Center
Once, when young Nasruddin was acting up in school, distracting his classmates from their proper studies with endless antics, jests, and stories, his irate teacher uttered a curse: “Whatever you say or do, people will only laugh at you.”
Now, eight centuries later, children, adults, and wise fools everywhere are still laughing at Nasruddin (Nasreddin Hoca), one of the world’s most beloved folk characters. This entertaining and insightful retelling of more than 365 Mullah stories brings the famed Persian legend into the 21st Century.
Storytellers and folklorists, Sufis and yogis, comedians and wisdom seekers — and everyone who loves to laugh will be enriched and enlightened by the timeless wit, inscrutable wisdom, and uncommon sense of humor of Mullah Nasruddin.
Genre: SOCIAL SCIENCE / Folklore & MythologyThis award-winning book was in print since 2010 with a different publisher and is now in its new 3rd revised edition published by Bear Bones Books. Current complete information on the book is unavailable due to a dispute with the former publisher.
However, based on available reports, the book has sold at least 800 softcover/hardcover copies throughout the world. For example, it sold 70 copies in softcover Jan-Dec 2016 in the previous edition. Sales indicate that the first edition was included in collegiate classes syllabuses. Since being republished in 2018 the softcover has sold 350 copies.
The Kindle edition is estimated to have sold 325 copies.
The 2013 Audible audiobook of this title has sold 275 copies.
As of January 2023, the Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,381,989 in Books ~ #20,206 in Folklore (Books) ~ #46,501 in Humor (Books); Kindle: Best Sellers Rank: #542,811 in Kindle Store ~ #270 in Folklore (Kindle Store) ~ #380 in Ancient & Classical Literature ~ #3,997 in Fairy Tale Fantasy (Kindle Store)
One night, Luqman, the town watchman, found Nasruddin prying open his front window.
“Mullah, what are you doing sneaking into your own house?” asked Luqman. “Are you locked out?”
“Shhhh!” whispered Nasruddin. “They say I sleepwalk, so I’m trying to spy on myself, to find out for myself if they are right.”
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Once Nasruddin was stting by the side of the road by himself, eating a large roast chicken, when Musa, the camel-seller’s son, came by and saw him eating the tasty bird. The boy rubbed his tummy and said, “Mullah, I’m so hungry. Please give me some of that yummy chicken.”
“Indeed . . . willingly, I would gladly . . . share some . . . of this delicious . . . chicken,” said Nasruddin as continued to chomp away and gobble the roast fowl, “but for the unfortunate . . . fact that it . . . belongs to my wife.”
Musa pouted. “If it is your wife’s chicken, then why are you eating it?”
“Well, you see . . . my child, she gave this chicken to me . . . with the implicit understanding . . . that I should eat it all!”
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One fine evening, Faruk the busybody came across Nasruddin carrying a lamp while walking down the street. He said, “Mullah, you always boast about your excellent night vision and how you can see in the dark. So why do I find you now, carrying a lamp so visibly?”
“The use of a light may not always be obvious,” Nasruddin replied. “This lamp, in fact, is highly effective in preventing others from bumping or colliding into me.”
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Spanish
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Already translated.
Translated by Adriana Allende
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