:: The missing leg ::
The Hodja was a poor man but not a miserly one. As a matter of fact, miserly people are never poor. Anyhow, one day the Hodja was going to visit the great Tamerlane. On second thoughts he realized how unseemly it would look for him to go empty handed. No, it wouldn't do...
He got a goose beatifully roasted, placed it in a tray and started on his way to the palace. After a while, the aroma of the roasted goose began to tell on him and, when he could bear it no longer, he broke one of it legs off and satisfied his desire.
Tamerlane when offered the gift, at once noticed that one of the legs was missing and being lame in one leg himself, he thought this must have been done on purpose to remind him of his disability. He was, of course, furious and the Hodja had never in his life been in greater danger.
-"What is the meaning of this? " roared the tryant. "Where's the other leg of this goose?"
-"Your Majesty, all the goose in Akshehir are one-legged," replied the Hodja.
-"That's preposterous! I never heard of such nonsense!"
-"If your Majesty deigns to look out of the window, the geese near the water will vouch for me."
True enough, all these were standing about in the sun on one leg. He ordered an attendant to chase the birds away. They watched the attendant throw a large stick and then the geese running away as fast as both their legs could carry them.
-"You see, Nasreddin, you were lying. Those geese proved to have two legs a piece."
-"Those poor birds didn't prove a thing, your Majesty. If i were chased away with such a stick, i might grow two more legs myself."
:: Nasreddin Hodja ::
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