Nasreddin Hodja had borrowed a cauldron from his neighbour. When he didn’t return it for a long time, the neighbour came knocking on the door.
“Hodja Effendi, if you are finished with the cauldron could I take it back? The wife needs it today.”
“Ah, of course,” Hodja said, “just wait here a minute and I’ll fetch it.”
When Hodja came back to the door with the cauldron, the neighbour noticed that there was a small pot in it.
“What is this?”
“Well, neighbour, congratulations, your cauldron gave birth to a baby pot,” said the Hodja.
The neighbour, incredulous yet delighted, thanked the Hodja, took his cauldron and the new little pot, and happily went home.
A few weeks after this incident, one day the Hodja came knocking on the neighbour’s door again, asking to borrow the cauldron. The neighbour didn’t even hesitate and lent Hodja the cauldron with pleasure. However, once more it was taking the Hodja forever to return it back. The neighbour had no choice but to go asking for it again.
“Hodja Effendi, are you done with the cauldron?”
“Ahh neighbour, ahh” bemoaned the Hodja, “I am afraid your cauldron is dead.”
“Hodja Effendi, that is not possible, a cauldron cannot die!” exclaimed the disbelieving neighbour. But Nasreddin Hodja had his answer ready.
“My dear fellow, you can believe that it can give birth, why can’t you believe that it can also die?”
© 2001 Lale Eskicioglu
