12. I am a stranger here.
One day, Hodja visited a village not far from his town. As he was walking through the village a man asked him:
- Sir, what day is today? Hodja replied:
- I am a stranger here, you must ask one of the local inhabitants.
13. Whose servant am I?
Hodja had become a very close friend to the king. His wise and humorous remarks made him one of the king’s favorites. One day the king was extremely hungry so the chef prepared some eggplants. They were so delicious that the king told the chef to serve the same dish every day.
- Are they not the very best vegetables in the world, Hodja? He asked him.
- Yes, your Majesty, the very best, he replied.
Five days later, after the same eggplant dish had been served for the tenth straight meal, the king roared:
- Take this food away! It’s awful!
- Yes, your Majesty, they are the worst vegetables in the world! Remarked Hodja.
- But Hodja, just a few days ago you said that they were the very best!
- Yes, I did, your Majesty. But I am the servant of the king, not the vegetables!
14. An inexperienced nightingale.
One day Hodja really wanted to eat some fruit, so he sneaked into someone’s garden, climbed up a tree and started eating all the fruit that he could get his hands on. A little later, the owner of the garden appeared and asked him angrily:
- What are you doing up there?
Hodja, trying to get out of this one, answered him sweetly:
- Oh, sir, I am a nightingale and I am just sitting up here singing!
The man was amused by this and laughed, saying:
- So you are a nightingale, eh? Then let me hear your singing! Hodja started making weird facial expressions and strange sounds. The owner cracked up and said:
- Man, what kind of singing is that? I have never heard a nightingale singing like that before!
- Hodja replied:
- Well, this is how an inexperienced nightingale sings!
