Once, a friend requested Mulla Nasruddin, “Can I borrow a thousand Thankas for three months?” Mulla replied, “I can fulfil half of your request.” “All right,” the friend said, “I’ll ask someone else for the other five hundred Thankas.” Mulla explained, “The half of your loan request I agreed, was the time: three months. I cannot give you 1000 Thankas.” As the friend left in disgust, a beggar knocked. Mulla peeped from the first floor and asked, “What do you want?” “Come downstairs; I’ll tell you,” said the beggar. So, Mulla came down. “Can you spare me a coin?” requested the beggar. Mulla went upstairs and shouted, “Come up here.” When the beggar went up, Mulla said, “I don’t have any change to spare.” “Why didn’t you tell me this downstairs?” asked the beggar. “And why didn’t you tell me when I first asked you?” asked Mulla as the angry beggar left.
Miserly Mulla
