MONDAY MORNING WISDOM - Heat and Light

HEAT AND LIGHT

A Mulla Nasrudin Story

Retold By

VIKRAM KARVE

Good Morning, Dear Reader, on the bright and sunny Monday. Here is a Mulla Nasrudin Story for you. I am sure you will able to derive some “light” from the “heat” ...

Long long ago, on a very cold winter day when it was snowing heavily, Mulla Nasrudin was having a chat with some of his friends who were complaining about the harsh winter season

Mulla Nasrudin said that he was immune to cold and that the cold weather did not bother him, and in fact, he could stand outside in the open all night with ease.

“It is just not possible in this bitter cold to stay outside all night, Nasrudin,” his friends said. 

“I can do it,” boasted Nasrudin.

“Okay. Let's take a bet, Nasrudin. If you stand all night in the village square without warming yourself by any external means, each of us will treat you to sumptuous meal. But if you fail to do so, you will treat us all to dinner,” the friends wagered.

“All right it’s a bet,” Mulla Nasrudin said.

That very night, Mulla Nasrudin stood in the village square till morning despite the bitter cold. 

In the morning, he ran triumphantly to his friends and told them that he had won the bet and they should be ready to fulfill their promise of treating him to a sumptuous meal.

“But as a matter of fact you lost the bet, Mulla Nasrudin,” one of his friends said.

“What do you mean I lost the bet?” asked an angry Nasrudin, “I spent all night standing in the bitter cold outside in the village square.”

One of the friends said to Nasrudin, “At about midnight, just before I went to sleep, I saw a candle burning in a window about half a mile yards away from where you were standing. That certainly means that you warmed yourself by it.”

“Nonsense. That’s ridiculous,” “Mulla Nasrudin argued, “How can a candle so far away and that too behind a window warm a person standing half a mile away?”

They kept on arguing, but all protestations of Nasrudin were to no avail, and it was decided that Mulla Nasrudin had lost the bet. 

Mulla Nasrudin accepted the verdict gracefully and invited all of them to dinner that night at his home. 

They all arrived on time, laughing and joking, anticipating the delicious meal Mulla Nasrudin was going to serve them. 

But dinner was not ready. 

Mulla Nasrudin told them that it would be ready in a short time. 

Then Nasrudin left the room to prepare the meal. 

A long time passed, and still no dinner was served. 

Finally, getting impatient and very hungry, all his friends went into the kitchen to see if there was any food cooking at all. 

They could not believe what they saw. 

Mulla Nasrudin was standing by a huge cooking pot, suspended from the ceiling and on the ground below there was a small lighted candle.

“Be patient my friends,” Mulla Nasrudin said to his hungry friends, “Dinner will be ready soon. You can see that it is cooking.”

“Are you crazy, Mulla Nasrudin?” all his friends shouted, “How could such a tiny flame boil such a large pot?”

“Your lack of logic amuses me,” Mulla Nasrudin said nonchalantly, “If the flame of a candle behind a window half a mile away can warm a person, then surely the same flame will boil this pot which is only a few feet away.”

Dear Reader, let this story perambulate in your mind on this hot sultry Monday. And when comprehension dawns on you, please be so good to comment and tell us what you think is the moral of the story.

Have a Happy Monday 

VIKRAM KARVE
Copyright © Vikram Karve 2012
Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.
© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

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About Vikram Karve

A creative person with a zest for life, Vikram Karve is a retired Naval Officer turned full time writer. Educated at IIT Delhi, ITBHU Varanasi, The Lawrence School Lovedale and Bishops School Pune, Vikram has published two books: COCKTAIL a collection of fiction short stories about relationships (2011) and APPETITE FOR A STROLL a book of Foodie Adventures (2008) and he is currently working on his novel. 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. Vikram has taught at a University as a Professor for almost 15 years and now teaches as a visiting faculty and devotes most of his time to creative writing. Vikram lives in Pune India with his family and muse - his pet dog Sherry with whom he takes long walks thinking creative thoughts. 

Vikram Karve Academic and Creative Writing Journal: http://karvediat.blogspot.com
Professional Profile Vikram Karve: http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve
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Email: vikramkarve@sify.com        

© vikram karve., all rights reserved.