Putting Yogurt Starter in the Lake
The Hodja drops yogurt starter into the lake: "But what if it takes?"
Tap a word to see it in Turkish · Long press to translate the whole sentence.
One day Nasreddin Hodja went to the shore of Lake Aksehir with a bowl of yogurt in his hands. He bent down and began tossing the yogurt into the lake spoonful by spoonful. One spoon, another spoon, and he stirred...
The villagers saw him and grew curious. "Hodja, what are you doing?"
"I am putting starter in the lake," said the Hodja. "I am going to make yogurt."
The villagers burst out laughing: "Hodja, can a whole lake ever turn into yogurt?"
The Hodja lifted his head, looked at the lake and smiled: "It can't, I know. But what if it takes?"
The villagers went off laughing. But as they walked home in the evening, one of them thought: "The Hodja's yogurt won't take, but... I always say 'it can't be done.' I never even try." The next day that villager sowed seed in the field he had been afraid to plant for years. The seed took.
Did the Hodja's yogurt take? Of course not. But that day, on the shore of the lake, a small seed fell into someone's heart: "What if it takes?"
If one day you are afraid of something, remember the Hodja first. Putting starter in a lake may be silly; never trying is sillier.
The tale ends here. Sleep well.
Putting Yogurt Starter in the Lake is a children's tale from Nasreddin Hodja, suitable for ages 3-8 and about 2 minutes long. Read it free on Masal Merkezi, play a lullaby or nature sound in the background, tap any word to see its Turkish meaning and save it to your favorites. For similar tales browse the Bedtime Stories category.
Sign up and your favorites and reading list follow you on every device.
