MULLA NASRUDIN-A WISE EDIOT

Did you remember a popular TV serial which was telecasted on Doordarshan few years back in which a short stature man wearing a cloak was riding a donkey ? If not than let me tell you I am talking about Mulla Nasrudin…..the serial in which Raghuveer Yadav of the fame Mungeri lal Ke Haseen Sapne has acted as Mulla Nasrudeen.

Mulla Nasrudeen is a very famous folkloric character.Thousands of sarcastic stories , anecdotes & jokes about Mulla Nasrudin are still enjoyed.Since stories about him are popular in many countries , people from different countries claim that Mulla Nasrudin is native of their country but he was born in a Turkish village in 1208 & died around 1284.

Every year, an International Nasreddin Hoja Festival is held between July 5-10 in the town where he was buried in Turkey, giving writers & artists a chance to present their works of drama, music, paintings, films and animation and keep the memory of Nasreddin alive.Mulla Nasrudin used to travel from his home town to distant places & used to make friends through his foolish but witty remarks . Very little is known about his family but in some stories it is written he has many wives & children who used to fight among themselves.

There are many variations of the Nasrudeen stories as they have been handed down orally over the generations. Differences have naturally sprung up due to the vast geographical regions where his stories form part of the oral culture. Despite these differences, Mulla Nasrudin is one of the most popular satirical characters to be found in the folk literature of the East. The following widely known Mulla Nasrudin story has been retold numerous times and in numerous ways. It can be seen that the story changes in its details and title, while keeping its moral.


To Make The People Stop Talking

One day, Mulla and his son went on a journey. Mulla let his son ride the donkey while he walked. Along the way, they passed some people who said, " Look at that healthy young boy on the donkey “The boy then let his father ride while he walked. Mulla rode and the boy walked by his side. Soon they met another group. " Look at that! Poor little boy has to walk while his father rides the donkey” . This time, Mulla climbed onto the donkey behind his son. Soon they met another group, who said, " Look at that poor donkey! He has to carry the weight of two people " . Mulla then told his son, " The best thing is for us to walk and lead the donkey. Then no one can complain ” So, they continued their journey on foot. Again, they met some others who said: “Just take a look at those fools. Both of them are walking under this hot sun and neither of them is riding the donkey ". In exasperation,Mulla lifted the donkey onto his shoulders and said," Come on, if we don’t do this, it will be impossible to make people stop talking "