Once, Mulla Nasruddin thought of employing a servant for doing his household chores.
He had found that bringing water from the pond was the most embarrassing thing for a noble person. Once or twice, when he was returning with the pot of water on his shoulder, he had met another noble. And when another noble bent down to pay obeisance to him he too had to do that. In the process, he had poured all the water on the feet of the another noble.
His servant was Abdul. Mulla Nasruddin gave him the earthen pot and said, “Take this pot. You shall bring water a dozen times every day from the pond.”
Abdul nodded his head. As he had turned to depart, Mulla called out, “Listen.”
Abdul turned back to face him.
“Be very careful with this pot. Don’t break it.”
When Abdul turned to go, Mulla again called him back. He warned, “If you break that pot, I will slap you. Remember that.”
Abdul nodded his head.
He had gone up to the door when Mulla Nasruddin shouted and signalled with his hand calling Abdul back.
Greatly irritated, Abdul went back to Mulla Nasruddin.
Mulla raised his hand and slapped Abdul hard.
He protested, “Why do you slap me, master? What for? I have not broken the pot.”
Mulla Nasruddin said, “Look, if I slap you after you have broken the pot, it won’t put the broken pot together again. Will it?”
“No,” replied Abdul.
“So, I slapped you in advance. Now you know how I will slap you if that pot gets broken. You will be really careful now.”
Addul looked at Mulla Nasruddin utterly puzzled and bewildered.
Moral : Treat others in a polite way.
