Riding the Donkey Backwards
The Hodja rides his donkey backwards; everyone laughs, but the Hodja has a fine explanation.
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One day Nasreddin Hodja set out on the road with his students. The Hodja got on his donkey, but he got on backwards: his face toward the donkey's tail, his back toward the road. His students were walking along behind him.
The villagers on the road laughed when they saw him: "Hodja, you have got on your donkey backwards!"
The Hodja answered calmly: "No, I got on the right way. The donkey is standing backwards."
The villagers laughed even more. One student asked: "Hodja, really, why did you get on backwards?"
The Hodja explained with a serious face: "Look, if I sat facing forward, you would be behind me. To see you I would have to turn my back; that would be rude. If you walked in front of me, you would turn your backs on me; that would be rude too. This is best: I sit backwards, we face each other, and we can talk as we go."
The students looked; it was true, the Hodja's face was turned toward them, and they chatted the whole walk long.
When the villagers heard this explanation, they fell silent. Someone said, "Even the Hodja's backwards is more right than our forwards."
The Hodja smiled on top of his donkey. The donkey, the only creature that knew where it was going, went on its way.
The tale ends here. Sleep well.
Riding the Donkey Backwards 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 Nasreddin Hodja category.
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