DONKEY FOR SALE
A Mulla Nasrudin Story
By
VIKRAM KARVE
Mulla Nasrudin had a good-for-nothing donkey. The donkey was wild, unruly, lazy, and obstinate and would not obey Mulla Nasrudin and all efforts to train the donkey failed. Soon the donkey became such a nuisance that Nasrudin and his wife were fed up of the donkey and wanted to get rid of it, so they decided to sell off their useless donkey and purchase a good one.
So Mulla Nasrudin took his good-for-nothing donkey to the weekly fair where animals were bought and sold by auction.
“I want to sell this good-for-nothing, lazy, useless, disobedient donkey,” Mulla Nasrudin shouted.
A man offered five hundred rupees and Nasrudin was delighted to get this unexpected prize for his useless donkey.
Mulla Nasrudin roamed around the fair and suddenly he saw a huge crowd around an auctioneer who was auctioning a handsomely decked-up donkey wearing a crown.
The auctioneer talked about the donkey’s strong muscles, “look how strong and supple this donkey is – it is so hardy that it can wok tirelessly for hours carrying heavy loads. An excellent beast of burden.”
Someone bid one thousand rupees.
“What? Only a thousand rupees for such an intelligent donkey? You can train him to anything you want and he will learn in a minute. This is a most gentle donkey. Just look at his eyes. You know he’s a wonderful donkey. You can let him carry your children home with full knowledge of the fact that this kind animal will protect them from any harm. For he is a strong loyal friend…” the auctioneer said.
Someone bid three thousand rupees.
The auctioneer continued talking about the donkey’s value and and as he laid it thick and praised the donkey’s qualities the bids started going higher and higher.
The auctioneer went on and on extolling the donkey’s virtues which so impressed Mulla Nasrudin that he suddenly bid ten thousand rupees, won the bid and bought the donkey.
He triumphantly led his prize donkey home and told his wife that he had sold their good-for-nothing useless donkey for rupees five hundred and bought this wonderful new donkey for ten thousand rupees.
Nasrudin’s wife had a close look, realized that the decked-up donkey Nasrudin had bought was their own lazy good-for-nothing donkey and was furious with Mulla Nasrudin and shouted at him, “are you crazy Nasrudin. This is our own useless donkey – you sold it for five hundred rupees and bought it back for ten thousand rupees?”
A stunned, bewildered and baffled Mulla Nasrudin looked closely at the donkey for some time, then recovered his wits, and said, “Maybe I did not appreciate the true worth of my donkey until the auctioneer explained it…”
It’s true isn’t it? Sometimes we don’t realize the value of what we have or the worth of those close to us, till someone else appreciates it.
There is a saying in hindi: “Ghar ki Murgi Dal barabar…”
VIKRAM KARVE
© vikram karve., all rights reserved.
VIKRAM KARVE educated at IIT Delhi, ITBHU and The Lawrence School Lovedale, is an Electronics and Communications Engineer by profession, a Human Resource Manager and Trainer by occupation, a Teacher by vocation, a Creative Writer by inclination and a Foodie by passion. An avid blogger, he has written a number of fiction short stories and creative non-fiction articles in magazines and journals for many years before the advent of blogging. His delicious foodie blogs have been compiled in a book "Appetite for a Stroll". Vikram lives in Pune with his family and pet Doberman girl Sherry, with whom he takes long walks thinking creative thoughts.
Vikram Karve Creative Writing Blog - http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com
Academic Journal Vikram Karve – http://karvediat.blogspot.com
Professional Profile of Vikram Karve - http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve
Email: vikramkarve@sify.com
Foodie Book: Appetite for a Stroll
© vikram karve., all rights reserved.
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