HOW TO KEEP A PROMISE

HOW TO KEEP A PROMISE

A Mulla Nasrudin Story

retold by

VIKRAM KARVE

Mulla Nasrudin was undertaking a journey on the high seas on board a small ship.  

A great thunderstorm arose, causing high waves, mighty winds and incessant rain, and it appeared that there seemed to be no chance of surviving. 

Mulla Nasrudin owned a magnificent palace, which he loved so much that he considered the palace his most precious and dearest possession.  It was really a beautiful palace, a marble palace of which he was very proud, in the capital of his country. 

Even the king was jealous of him and he had offered him whatsoever money he wanted for the palace, but Nasrudin was insistent that he was not going to give the palace to anyone at any price, whatsoever be the amount of money offered. Great offers had come for this palace but Mulla Nasrudin had always refused.

Now that his life was in danger he prayed to God and he said, “Listen...Almighty God...!  If you save my life I promise to sell my magnificent palace and distribute the money to the poor.”

Suddenly, the storm started subsiding.  As the sea became calm, Nasrudin started having second thoughts:  "This is too much...! Maybe the storm was going to subside anyway.  I have unnecessarily risked my lovely palace."

But Nasrudin was in for a big surprise.

As he was having these second thoughts, the storm started rising again, and gusty winds and ferocious waves started lashing the ship causing it to roll and pitch dangerously. 

Frightened out of his wits and scared to death, a contrite Nasrudin prayed to God again: “Listen God...!  Don't be bothered with my thoughts – I am a foolish man – but whatsoever I have said I am going to do.  I promise you that I will sell the palace and distribute the money to the poor.”

The storm started subsiding and again Nasrudin began having second thoughts, but now he was afraid of divine retribution.

He reached ashore safely and the next day he informed the whole town that he was going to auction his magnificent palace. 

All the rich people, the king, the prime minister, and the ministers and the generals, all came, because everybody desired to possess Nasrudin's grand palace.  And they were all surprised at what he was doing, why was he suddenly selling it – they thought Mulla Nasrudin had gone crazy.

On the day of the auction, just in front of the palace, Nasrudin kept a cat, and when all the people had gathered Nasrudin announced:  “The price of the cat is ten lakh rupees, and the price of the palace is only one rupee, but I am going to sell them together – it’s a package deal.”

The whole thing looked crazy – Ten Lakh Rupees for a Cat... Just an ordinary cat...  It looked like any ordinary wandering cat. And just One Rupee for the magnificent Palace...

But the people thought: “Why worry...? It is none of our business.”

The king purchased them – the package deal.  Ten Lakh Rupees were paid for the Cat, One Rupee for the Palace.

Nasrudin pocketed the Ten Lakh rupees and with a condescending smile on his face gave the One Rupee Coin to a Beggar, looked up towards the heavens and said to God:  “Look... What I had promised I have fulfilled... The money I got from selling the palace I have distributed to the poor...!”

Well, what a creative way to keep one's promise! 

VIKRAM KARVE

VIKRAM KARVE educated at IIT Delhi, ITBHU Varanasi, The Lawrence School Lovedale, and Bishop's School Pune, 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/blog/posts.htm

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 http://books.sulekha.com/book/appetite-for-a-stroll/default.htm

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