WIT AND HUMOUR
WHAT IS BREAD
An Apocryphal Mulla Nasrudin Story
By
VIKRAM KARVE
All the seven ministers of the King accused the court jester and wise man Mulla Nasrudin of talking nonsense under the guise of imparting wisdom.
So the King summoned Mulla Nasrudin to the Darbar and asked for an explanation.
“Your Excellency,” Nasrudin pleaded before the King, “Please permit me to ask just one question to your seven wise ministers. I want them to write the answer on a piece of paper and then give it to you.”
“Have paper and pens brought,” said the King.
Paper and pens were brought and distributed to the seven ministers.
Mulla Nasrudin looked at the seven ministers and said:
“O wise men, each of you please write the answer to this simple question on the paper and give it to the king:
“WHAT IS BREAD ?”
The seven ministers all wrote their answers and the papers were handed to the King.
The king read out the answers one by one:
The first wrote: Bread is Food
The second said: Bread is a combination of flour and water exposed to the heat of a fire
The third wrote: Bread is a gift from God
The fourth wrote: A punishment food served in prisons with water like bread and water
The fifth wrote: There are so many kinds of bread. Which one do you mean?
The sixth wrote: Bread is a Nutritious Staple Food
The seventh minister wrote: Full of calories, bread is bad for health and best not eaten
On hearing these answers Mulla Nasrudin submitted to the king, “Your Majesty, how can you trust these men? Is it not laughable that they cannot make sense of something they eat every day, yet they are unanimous that I talk nonsense…!”
Dear Reader, now I am confused.
Please tell me your definition of BREAD.
What is the moral of this story?
You tell me.
I will give you a hint: “What is a house?” - a home, a shelter, a place to live in, an investment, a status symbol, an aesthetic structure, a thing of beauty ... a house is so many things to so many people,
It is the same with other things, tangible (like say a car), or even intangible, like marriage - a marriage may mean different things to different people - for some marriage may mean happiness, companionship, security and for some marriage may be a traumatic relationship and for others marriage may be a business proposition.
The actual entity in ground reality may be the same, but each of us have different paradigms in our mind of the way in which we view that entity through the lenses of our mental filters.
WHAT IS BREAD
An Apocryphal Mulla Nasrudin Story
By
VIKRAM KARVE
All the seven ministers of the King accused the court jester and wise man Mulla Nasrudin of talking nonsense under the guise of imparting wisdom.
So the King summoned Mulla Nasrudin to the Darbar and asked for an explanation.
“Your Excellency,” Nasrudin pleaded before the King, “Please permit me to ask just one question to your seven wise ministers. I want them to write the answer on a piece of paper and then give it to you.”
“Have paper and pens brought,” said the King.
Paper and pens were brought and distributed to the seven ministers.
Mulla Nasrudin looked at the seven ministers and said:
“O wise men, each of you please write the answer to this simple question on the paper and give it to the king:
“WHAT IS BREAD ?”
The seven ministers all wrote their answers and the papers were handed to the King.
The king read out the answers one by one:
The first wrote: Bread is Food
The second said: Bread is a combination of flour and water exposed to the heat of a fire
The third wrote: Bread is a gift from God
The fourth wrote: A punishment food served in prisons with water like bread and water
The fifth wrote: There are so many kinds of bread. Which one do you mean?
The sixth wrote: Bread is a Nutritious Staple Food
The seventh minister wrote: Full of calories, bread is bad for health and best not eaten
On hearing these answers Mulla Nasrudin submitted to the king, “Your Majesty, how can you trust these men? Is it not laughable that they cannot make sense of something they eat every day, yet they are unanimous that I talk nonsense…!”
Dear Reader, now I am confused.
Please tell me your definition of BREAD.
What is the moral of this story?
You tell me.
I will give you a hint: “What is a house?” - a home, a shelter, a place to live in, an investment, a status symbol, an aesthetic structure, a thing of beauty ... a house is so many things to so many people,
It is the same with other things, tangible (like say a car), or even intangible, like marriage - a marriage may mean different things to different people - for some marriage may mean happiness, companionship, security and for some marriage may be a traumatic relationship and for others marriage may be a business proposition.
The actual entity in ground reality may be the same, but each of us have different paradigms in our mind of the way in which we view that entity through the lenses of our mental filters.
VIKRAM KARVE
Copyright © Vikram Karve 2013
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.
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.
No part of this Blog may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Blog Author Vikram Karve who holds the copyright.
Copyright © Vikram Karve 2013 all rights reserved
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COCKTAIL ebook
If you prefer reading ebooks on Kindle or your ebook reader, please order Cocktail E-book by clicking the links below:
AMAZON
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SMASHWORDS
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Foodie Book: Appetite for a Stroll
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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 and blogger. Educated at IIT Delhi, IIT (BHU) 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 is currently working on his novel and a book of vignettes and an anthology of short fiction. An avid blogger, he has written a number of fiction short stories and creative non-fiction articles on a variety of topics including food, travel, philosophy, academics, technology, management, health, pet parenting, teaching stories and self help in magazines and published a large number of professional and academic research papers in journals and edited in-house journals and magazines for many years, before the advent of blogging. Vikram has taught at a University as a Professor for 15 years and now teaches as a visiting faculty and devotes most of his time to creative writing and blogging. Vikram Karve 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
Vikram Karve Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/vikramkarve
Vikram Karve Creative Writing Blog: http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm
Email: vikramwamankarve@gmail.com
If your are a Foodie you will like my book of Food Adventures APPETITE FOR A STROLL. Do order a copy from FLIPKART:
http://www.flipkart.com/appetite-stroll-vikram-karve/8190690094-gw23f9
About Vikram Karve
A creative person with a zest for life, Vikram Karve is a retired Naval Officer turned full time writer and blogger. Educated at IIT Delhi, IIT (BHU) 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 is currently working on his novel and a book of vignettes and an anthology of short fiction. An avid blogger, he has written a number of fiction short stories and creative non-fiction articles on a variety of topics including food, travel, philosophy, academics, technology, management, health, pet parenting, teaching stories and self help in magazines and published a large number of professional and academic research papers in journals and edited in-house journals and magazines for many years, before the advent of blogging. Vikram has taught at a University as a Professor for 15 years and now teaches as a visiting faculty and devotes most of his time to creative writing and blogging. Vikram Karve 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
Vikram Karve Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/vikramkarve
Vikram Karve Creative Writing Blog: http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm
Email: vikramwamankarve@gmail.com
Twitter: @vikramkarve
© vikram karve., all rights reserved.
Very nice one.
ReplyDeleteRegards
Deepak