One Day The Hodja... ~ Slap ~

[Doğan Can Çiçek]

One Day The Hodja...
Glossary

~ Slap ~

One day Nasreddin Hodja was walking on the street, when a total
stranger came up to him and slapped him on the back of his neck. The
Hodja demanded some kind of rectification. But the man was
unapologetic. He had thought the Hodja was a good friend of his, whom
he was accustomed to greeting with such gesture.
`It is not an incidence of great significance, Effendi,' he said to
the Hodja, `I thought you were my friend, I shouldn't be paying for
such a small mistake.' Nasreddin Hodja was not convinced. He was
wronged and he had to receive the damages. Since the discussion was
going nowhere, they decided to consult the kadi. However, unbeknownst
to the Hodja, the man and the kadi were friends.
The kadi listened to them both, and although it looked like the Hodja
was right, he was still determined to get his friend out of this
without having to pay a penalty.
`Hodja Effendi is right,' the kadi said, winking to his friend, `you
have to pay him a gold coin.' The friend, reassured with kadi's wink,
said that he didn't have a gold coin on him but if they waited a few
minutes, he would go and get it. Kadi allowed him to go fetch the
money and Nasreddin Hodja started to wait. After waiting quite a
while, and recalling the familiarity between the kadi and the man, the
Hodja figured out that he was tricked and that the man was never going
to come back. He approached the kadi and startled him with a forceful
slap on the back of his neck.
`Hodja Effendi, what did you do that for?' the kadi said in pain.
`Kadi Effendi, I am a little late for my errands, I can't wait any
longer. When the man comes back, you take the gold coin!'