Nasreddin Hodja;
He is a historical figure who has entered history with his life, experiences, and his wit, becoming a legend.
Hodja, for centuries and as I personally have received his stories, while being a compatriot of mine, has become part of our lives and our culture, even events not belonging to him have been attributed to him. His jokes and wit have grown like an avalanche until today...
I chose to compile Hodja's experiences during a journey to give coherence to the story rather than in small anecdotes...
Just like threading scattered pearls on a string, I have handpicked the anecdotes into a cohesive story with the belief that it would be more fluid to include known events under the same journey...
This may have led to changes at the places and with the persons where the event took place... But my goal here is to present the actual events within a certain scenario. While making the changes, I was careful to preserve a certain style.
Perhaps there are other jokes that are much funnier than those described here, but the choice was to select the jokes that fit the theme.
The other stories for the next adventure...
...
Finally, we have a note and a wish:
Nasreddin Hodja was a man of knowledge and wisdom... there is wisdom and treats hidden behind every joke and quip. One should approach with this viewpoint to assess him.
The first thought that strikes one when thinking about Nasreddin Hodja is that he "rides his donkey backwards"... Have you ever wondered why he behaves this way?...
Thinking that it would be against Islamic behavior and decency to answer his students with his back turned to them, Nasreddin Hodja chose to ride his donkey backwards while simultaneously answering his students' questions...
Thus, Nasreddin Hodja rides backwards to maintain eye contact with his students and teach them.
Therefore, I hope that those who read the book and his anecdotes will consider this subtlety about Nasreddin Hodja's life mentioned in this work.
And Nasreddin Hodja's adventures will continue. So stay tuned...
After making this reminder, let us proceed to Hodja's adventures.
(Edited first time 2005-02-02 Stockholm
Last edited 2022-02-03 Gothenburg
English version: 2024-05-06 Gothenburg)
Ramazan Faruk GÜZEL
