Author Archive
Musings
Alan Tarica: Exploring the sonnets and authorship of William Shakespeare – An article by Bob Taylor
Since William Shakespeare’s death nearly 400 years ago, there has been a raging debate about the true authorship of the plays and sonnets that bear his name. Numerous theories exist and, chances are, the controversy will contin...
Indulge
Nasreddin Hodja Stories
Nasreddin Hodja, Shrewd and Silly Nasreddin Hodja (Hoca) is a 13th century Turkish personage who is believed to have lived in Akşehir in south-central Turkey. About 400 handwritten manuscripts that narrate anecdotes demonstrati...
NasreddinHodja
Glossary for Nasreddin Hodja Articles
Akçe: Old monetary unit of Turkey, a small silver coin valued at one third of a para (see para). Akşehir: Nasreddin Hodja is believed to have lived in Akşehir (township of Konya, central Anatolia) which hosts his mausoleum toda...
NasreddinHodja
Young Muezzin
One day a young muezzin with an awful voice was trying to chant the prayers’ call from the tiny balcony located at the very top of the minaret. He was wailing and shrieking so badly that it didn’t sound like the inv...
NasreddinHodja
Witness
An acquaintance asked Nasreddin Hodja to act as a witness in a court case and lie on his behalf in front of the kadı. The man insisted so much that, at the end, the Hodja agreed to back him up in court. When the suit came befor...
NasreddinHodja
Two Onion Stalks
Nasreddin Hodja planted two onion bulbs; one, he said, was for himself, and the other was for Allah. All the onions from Allah’s stalk were to be given to the poor. Some time passed and the bulbs grew into two stalks. One...
NasreddinHodja
The Power of the Turban
A Persian resident of Akşehir received a letter from his relatives in Esfahan. Since he was illiterate, he brought the letter to Nasreddin Hodja to read for him. But the Hodja didn’t know Persian. “This is written in Pers...
NasreddinHodja
Tax Collector
One day, the tax collector of Akşehir and surrounding towns fell into the river. Since he didn’t know how to swim, he was about to drown. The villagers gathered by the river bank to save him. “Give me your hand, give me y...
NasreddinHodja
Scientific Meeting
A foreign scholar and his entourage were passing through Akşehir. The scholar asked to speak with the town’s most knowledgeable person. Of course, the townsfolk immediately called Nasreddin Hodja. The foreign savant didn&...
NasreddinHodja
Minaret’s Case
Nasreddin Hodja was the imam at the time. One day, the people of Akşehir saw the Hodja tying a rope around the minaret of the mosque, and fastening it to the trunk of a large tree. “Hodja Efendi, what are you doing?” they asked...
