The Uncommon Sense Of The Immortal Mullah Nasruddin

This entertaining and insightful retelling of the Nasruddin corpus by a noted anthologist and lifelong Nasruddin devotee brings the beloved Persian folk hero into the 21st century. With more than 343 stories, this collection easily becomes the definitive English anthology of Mullah Nasruddin's wit and wisdom.

This much-anticipated sequel to the award-winning collection detailing the exploits of the beloved 800-year-old Turkish "wise fool," Mullah Nasruddin, presents well over 250 hilarious and authentic folktales, dozens appearing in English for the first time. Author Suresha has done extensive research to unearth many of these centuries-old racy tales of the "naughty Nasruddin"-stories previously suppressed for moralistic reasons-which explore taboo themes as the Mullah interacts with his family, community, and strangers during his many journeys. Readers will be amused as well as amazed by this unadulterated account of the truly Extraordinary Adventures of Mullah Nasruddin.

Donkeys carried Christ into Jerusalem while in Greek myth they transported Hephaistos up to Mount Olympos and Dionysos into battle against the Giants. They were probably the first animals that people ever rode, as well as the first used on a large-scale as beasts of burden. Associated with kingship and the gods in the ancient Near East, they have been (and in many places still are) a core technology for moving people and goods over both short and long distances, as well as a supplier of muscle power for threshing and grinding grain, pressing olives, raising water, ploughing fields, and pulling carts, to name just a few of the uses to which they have been put. Yet despite this, they remain one of the least studied, and most widely ignored, of all domestic animals, consigned to the margins of history like so many of those who still depend upon them. Spanning the globe and extending from the donkey's initial domestication up to the present, this book seeks to remedy this situation by using archaeological evidence, in combination with insights from history and anthropology, to resituate the donkey (and its hybrid offspring such as the mule) in the unfolding of human history, looking not just at what donkeys and mules did, but also at how people have thought about and understood them. Intended in part for university researchers and students working in the broad fields of world history, archaeology, animal history, and anthropology, but it should also interest anyone keen to learn more about one of the most widespread and important of the animals that people have domesticated.

An Anne Izard Storytellers' Choice Award Winner A Storytelling World Honor Book Once, when young Nasruddin was acting up in class by distracting his friends with endless antics, jests, and stories, his irate teacher uttered a curse: "Whatever you do or say, people will only laugh at you." Now, eight centuries later, children, adults, and wise fools everywhere are still laughing at Nasruddin (Nasreddin Hoca), one of the world's most beloved folk characters. This entertaining and insightful retelling of more than a year's worth of daily Mullah stories brings the famed Persian legend into the Twenty-First Century. Storytellers, folklorists, Sufis, comedians, wisdom seekers, and everyone who loves to laugh will be enriched and enlightened by the timeless wit, inscrutable wisdom, and uncommon sense of humor of Mullah Nasruddin. "Suresha identifies the real strength of Nasruddin's stories in context to world literature and story performance, that is, its power to build bridges between cultures. ... The point of these stories is to speak to the audience in the language and metaphors that are familiar." - Storytelling, Self, Society "A contemporary reworking of the tales (the stories fit for a general audience, at least) ... to Suresha's credit he has maintained the direct, unadorned style that is a hallmark of folk tales. ... a delightful break from the everyday world for an hour or two." - Green Man Review "A fine pick and very highly recommended." - Midwest Book Review "These hilarious, and at times, ribald folk tales of the Turkish wise fool take the reader to another time and place, and share the spiritual lessons of Nasruddin. ... The teaching stories included in this volume help to build bridges between cultures by exemplifying Arabic wisdom and universal human humor." - from the Preface by Ann Shapiro, Executive Director, Connecticut Storytelling Center

Nasreddin Hoca, also known as Mullah Nasruddin, is an eight-centuries-old “wise fool” character originating in Turkey and the Levant, and the subject of thousands of funny, wise tales, jokes, and anecdotes told across the Middle and Far East, and retold today around the world. Extensively researched and carefully chosen from beloved authentic sources by an award-winning author, these pithy stories and folk tales are certain to bring readers a smile, nod, or chuckle of self-recognition on every page. More than one hundred of Nasreddin Hoca’s most endearing, enduring stories, gathered here by an award-winning author, will amuse, illuminate, and captivate readers of all ages with Hoca’s ageless, unique humour and universal humanity.