MUTUAL RESPECT
A Mulla Nasrudin Story
By
VIKRAM KARVE
Mulla Nasrudin, a distinguished teacher, was visited by a group of students, who wanted him to clear their doubts and teach them some important points before the exam.
He agreed, and they set out towards his house, the students walking behind Mulla Nasrudin, who had mounted his donkey in an unusual funny reverse way, with his own face towards the donkey’s tail.
People began to stare at the strange spectacle and laugh mockingly.
They thought that Mulla Nasrudin must be a fool and the students who followed him even greater fools.
Who after all, walks behind a man who rides a donkey back to front in this peculiar opposite way facing the donkey’s rear…?
After a little while the students began to feel embarrassed and became uneasy so they said to Nasrudin: “Respected Teacher, people are looking at us and laughing, making fun of us. Why do you ride your donkey in this strange manner…?”
Nasrudin smiled benevolently and said: “You are worried about what people think rather than try to understand why we travelling this way. I shall explain it to you.
If you walk in front of me, this would show your disrespect to me, because you would have your backs to me.
If I walked behind you, the same would be true.
If I ride on the donkey ahead of you sitting on the donkey and facing forward with my back towards you, this shows my disrespect for you.
So this is the only way of doing it for all of us to maintain proper respect towards each other.”
VIKRAM KARVE
Copyright © Vikram Karve 2010
Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.
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