“Who are You?”: Mullah Nasruddin in Action

One day, in the midst of his travels to give talks in various nearby villages, Mullah Nasruddin came across a beautiful palace. After walking all around the palace admiring its beauty he decided to enter. Being tired from all of his wanderings, he headed toward the first chair that he saw in the reception area. It happened to be the largest and most comfortable chair there.

As he was about to sit down, the palace guard quickly came over to him and said: “That chair is reserved for our guest of honor.”

“I am much more than a mere guest,” he replied.

“Well, who are you? Are you a diplomat?” the guard asked.

“No, I am not a diplomat,” the Mullah said. “I am far more than that.”

“Well, perhaps you’re a minister,” the guard suggested suspiciously.

“Not even close; I’m much higher than that,” the Mullah said.

“Well, the only title higher than that is the King,” the guard replied with undisguised impatience. “Are you perhaps the king himself?” he asked with great sarcasm.

“No, I am higher than that.”

“Are you crazy? In this town, nobody is higher than the king,” the guard said angrily.

“Ah, at last. Now you understand. I am nobody!” the Mullah said.

My retelling of a classic story featuring Mullah Nasruddin