02-12-2010, 12:00 AM
Nasreddin, carrying a brown
paper bag, goes into a coffee shop and orders
a coffee. The owner of the shop smiles,
gives him the coffee and then, unable to
contain his curiosity, says, “So,
what’s in the bag?”
Nasreddin gives a little laugh
and says: “You wanna see? Sure, you
can see what’s in the bag”,
and he reaches in and pulls out a tiny piano,
no more than six inches tall.
“What’s that?”
asks the owner of the shop. Nasreddin doesn’t
say anything; he just reaches into the bag
a second time and pulls out a tiny man,
about a foot tall, and sits him down next
to the piano.
“Wow,” says the
owner of the coffee shop, absolutely astonished.
“I have never in my life seen anything
like that”. The little man begins
to play Chopin. “Holy cow,”
says the owner of the shop, “where
did you ever get him?”
Nasreddin sighs and says: “Well,
you see, I found this magic lamp and it
has a genie in it. He can grant you anything
you want, but only gives one wish”.
The shopowner scowls, “Oh,
yeah, sure you do. Who are you trying to
kid?”
“You don’t believe
me?” says Nasreddin, somewhat offended.
He reaches into his coat pocket and pulls
out a silver lamp with an ornate curved
handle. “Here it is. Here’s
the lamp with the genie in it. Go ahead
and rub it if you don’t believe me”.
So the owner of the shop pulls
the lamp over to his side of the counter
and, looking at the man sceptically, rubs
the lamp. And then POOF, a genie appears
over the counter, bows to the bartender
and says: “Sire, your wish is my command.
I shall grant thee one wish and one wish
only”.
The owner gasps but quickly
gains his composure and says, “Okay,
okay, give me a million bucks!” The
genie waves his wand and all of a sudden
the room is filled with tens of thousands
of quacking ducks. They’re all over
the place, making a terrible noise: Quack,
quack, quack! The owner of the coffee shops
turns to Nasreddin and says: “Hey!
What’s the matter with this genie?
I asked for a million bucks and I get a
million ducks. Is he deaf or something?”
Nasreddin looks at him
and replies, “Well, do you really
think that I asked for a twelve-inch pianist?”
-- a sufi tale
paper bag, goes into a coffee shop and orders
a coffee. The owner of the shop smiles,
gives him the coffee and then, unable to
contain his curiosity, says, “So,
what’s in the bag?”
Nasreddin gives a little laugh
and says: “You wanna see? Sure, you
can see what’s in the bag”,
and he reaches in and pulls out a tiny piano,
no more than six inches tall.
“What’s that?”
asks the owner of the shop. Nasreddin doesn’t
say anything; he just reaches into the bag
a second time and pulls out a tiny man,
about a foot tall, and sits him down next
to the piano.
“Wow,” says the
owner of the coffee shop, absolutely astonished.
“I have never in my life seen anything
like that”. The little man begins
to play Chopin. “Holy cow,”
says the owner of the shop, “where
did you ever get him?”
Nasreddin sighs and says: “Well,
you see, I found this magic lamp and it
has a genie in it. He can grant you anything
you want, but only gives one wish”.
The shopowner scowls, “Oh,
yeah, sure you do. Who are you trying to
kid?”
“You don’t believe
me?” says Nasreddin, somewhat offended.
He reaches into his coat pocket and pulls
out a silver lamp with an ornate curved
handle. “Here it is. Here’s
the lamp with the genie in it. Go ahead
and rub it if you don’t believe me”.
So the owner of the shop pulls
the lamp over to his side of the counter
and, looking at the man sceptically, rubs
the lamp. And then POOF, a genie appears
over the counter, bows to the bartender
and says: “Sire, your wish is my command.
I shall grant thee one wish and one wish
only”.
The owner gasps but quickly
gains his composure and says, “Okay,
okay, give me a million bucks!” The
genie waves his wand and all of a sudden
the room is filled with tens of thousands
of quacking ducks. They’re all over
the place, making a terrible noise: Quack,
quack, quack! The owner of the coffee shops
turns to Nasreddin and says: “Hey!
What’s the matter with this genie?
I asked for a million bucks and I get a
million ducks. Is he deaf or something?”
Nasreddin looks at him
and replies, “Well, do you really
think that I asked for a twelve-inch pianist?”
-- a sufi tale