Although the dervishes use these stories as teaching tools to illustrate the universal shenanigans of the human mind, and to breakthrough traditional mindsets, In hopes of attaining a higher wisdom.

I'm sure that they would agree that Nasrudin tales can also be used for a good laugh.

Which is sort of a spiritual hiccup anyway. I hope you enjoy them.(really, I'm just trying to be polite. I could care less)

He was tired, hungry, exhausted, bleeding, and his clothes were torn apart because the jungle was so thick and thorny.

It was getting darker, the sun was setting and the night was near.

The Mulla had not been attending the mosque and prayer lately, and feared his predicament might be a result of his neglect.

So he knelt down on the ground and he said, "Dear Lord, please help me find my way out of this jungle, and I will always worship you. I will start attending the mosque regularly. I will faithfully follow all the rituals of Islam.

I promise you! Just save me. Forgive me. I apologize for my negligence. I was a fool, an utter fool!

Just at that moment a bird passed overhead and dropped something in his outspread hands.

Every time the guards searched him for contraband. But try as they might, they never found any.

"What are you carrying, Nasrudin?" The guards would ask.

"I am a smuggler" Nasrudin would answer.

Years later, more and more prosperous in his appearance. Nasrudin moved to Egypt.

One of the customs men met him there.

"Tell me, Mulla, now that you are out of the jurisdiction of Greece and Persia, living here in such luxury--what was it that you were smuggling when we could never catch you?"

"Who are you?" the Mulla stammered.

"I am a dervish, and this is my contemplation place."

Nasrudin replied, "You will have to let me share it. Your snoring frightened me out of my wits, and I cannot continue any further this night."

"Take the other end of this blanket, then," said the dervish without much enthusiasm, "and lie down here. Please be quiet, because I am keeping a vigil. It is a part of a complicated series of exercises. Tomorrow I must change the pattern, and I cannot stand any interruption."

Nasrudin fell asleep for a while. Then he woke up, very thirsty.

"I am thirsty," he told the dervish.

"Then go back down the road, where there is a stream."

"No,I am still afraid." replied Nasrudin.

"I shall go for you then," said the dervish. "After all, to provide water is a sacred obligation in the East."

"No, please don't go for I am still afraid to be alone!"

"Take this knife, to defend yourself then," said the dervish.

While he was away Nasrudin frightened himself still more, working himself up into a frenzy, which he tried to counter by imagining how he would attack any demon who threatened him.

Presently the dervish returned.

"Keep your distance, or "I'll kill you!" said Nasrudin.

"But I am the dervish," said the dervish.

"I don't care who you are-your maybe a demon in disguise. Besides, you have your head and eyebrows shaved!" The dervishes of that order shave their head and eyebrows.

"But I have come to bring you water! Don't you remember-you are thirsty!"

"Don't try and ingratiate yourself with me, Demon!"

"But that is my hole you are occupying!" said the dervish.

"That's hard luck for you, isn't it? You'll just have to find another one." replied Nasrudin.

"I suppose so," said the dervish, "but I am sure I don't know what to make of all this."

"I can tell you one thing," said Nasrudin, "and that is that fear is multidirectional."

"It certainly seems stronger than thirst, or sanity, or other peoples property," said the dervish.

"There is nothing of interest in life, my brother," said the man.

"I have sufficient capital in order that I don't have to work, and I am only on this trip in order to seek something more interesting and entertaining than the life I have at home."

"So far I haven't found it!"

Without another word, Nasrudin seized the travelers knapsack and made off down the road with it, running like a rabbit. Since he knew the area, he was easily able to out distance him

The road curved, and Nasrudin cut across several switchbacks, with the result that he was soon back on the road, well ahead of the man he had just robbed.

He put the knapsack by the side of the road and waited for the distressed traveler to show up.

Presently the miserable man appeared, following the tortuous road, more unhappy than ever because of his loss.

As soon as he saw his property lying there, by the side of the road, he ran towards it, shouting with joy.