Nine donkeys

Stories from Nasrettin Hoca’s universe (2)

Nasrettin once undertook to take nine donkeys for delivery to a local farmer. The man who entrusted them to him counted them, one by one, so that Nasrettin could be sure that there were really nine. On the road his attention was distracted by something by the wayside. Nasrettin, sitting astride one of the animals, counted them, again and again. He could make it only eight. Panic-stricken, he jumped off, looked all over the place, and then counted them again. There were nine. Then he noticed a remarkable thing. When he was sitting on donkey-back, he could see only eight donkeys. When, however, he dismounted, there were nine in full view. ‘This is the penalty’ reflected the Mulla, ‘for riding, when I should, no doubt, be walking behind the donkeys.’
‘Did you have any difficulty getting them here?’ asked the farmer when he arrived, dusty and dishevelled.
‘Not after I learned the trick of donkey-drivers – walk behind,’ said Nasrettin. ‘Before that they were full of tricks.’