THE ART OF CORRUPTION

Here is an apocryphal Mulla Nasrudin story – have a laugh…

While walking on the road, a shabbily dressed Mulla Nasrudin, who was struggling to make both ends meet, ran into an old friend, his school classmate, who took him to an expensive five star hotel for sumptuous meal.

Looking around with awe, as it was his first visit to such a luxurious and opulent hotel, Nasrudin asked his wealthy friend: “How did you make so much money?” 

“I became a builder and made my money in the building business. It is a very lucrative business. See that tall building over there. Half the cost of that building went into my pocket,” the friend said boastfully.

A few years later the friend met Nasrudin in the same five star hotel, wearing the best of clothes and dining opulently, enjoying the best of food.

Surprised at the fantastic metamorphosis, the friend asked Nasrudin the secret of his tremendous success and how he had made so much money in so short a time.

“Shipbuilding!” Nasrudin answered, and seeing the confused look on his friend’s face, Nasrudin took his friend to the magnificent Sea Side Lounge of the hotel, pointed towards the sea and said: “Do you see that magnificent ship?”

His friend looked carefully towards the sea, scanned the horizon, and as he did not see any ship, he asked Nasrudin, “Which Ship? Where is the Ship? There is no Ship out there. I can only see the calm blue sea. I don’t see any ship!”

Mulla Nasrudin gave his friend a canny smile and said: “The shipbuilding business is even more lucrative than your building business. The entire cost of the ship went into my pocket.”