Is It the Cat or the Meat?

One day Nasreddin Hodja bought a measure of meat at the market. He gave the meat to his wife: "Wife, cook this nicely for this evening. We'll have guests." Then he went off to work.

The Hodja's wife cooked the meat. But the food smelled so good that the neighbour women came round. His wife let them have a taste; she let them taste and taste, until all the meat was gone. In the evening, when the Hodja came home with the guests, there was only rice on the table.

"Wife, where's the meat?" asked the Hodja. His wife blushed a little, then pointed to the cat dozing in the corner: "Husband, the cat ate the meat!"

The Hodja looked at the cat. The cat opened its eyes and miaowed. The Hodja said nothing; he picked up the cat and set it on the pan of the scales in the kitchen. The cat weighed exactly one measure.

The Hodja turned to his wife: "Wife, this cat weighs one measure. The meat I bought was one measure too. Now tell me: if this is the cat, where is the meat? And if this is the meat, where is the cat?"

The guests roared with laughter. The Hodja's wife was embarrassed and began to laugh too: "All right, husband, I confess. The meat ran out while I was giving the neighbours a taste."

The Hodja lifted the cat off the scales and stroked its head: "Poor cat, you were blamed for nothing." Then he turned to his wife: "Wife, offering food to the neighbours is a lovely thing. But next time, don't blame the cat. The cat has no tongue to defend itself."

That evening they ate rice with the guests, but the table was very merry all the same. The next day the Hodja's wife put out a saucer of milk for the cat, as an apology.

This story tells us: we must not blame someone else for a mistake we made, especially someone who cannot defend themselves. Telling the truth can sometimes be embarrassing, but it brings peace to the heart.