There was a delicious smell of cooking coming from the restaurant in the middle of Akşehir. A poor, starving man was passing the open window of the restaurant. All he had was a crust of bread, and no money to buy some of the meat balls which he could see frying in a pan. He took out his crust of bread and held it above the pan, hoping to capture some of the delicious vapour. When he ate the bread, it seemed to taste much better.
The owner of the restaurant saw what was happening and ran out and seized the poor man. He dragged him before Nasreddin Hodja, the judge. The Hodja listened to the story, and then he took two coins from his pocket and held them in his closed hand.
"Come here a minute," he said to the restaurant owner, and he rattled the coins close to the man's ear. "Now the fine has been paid," said Nasreddin.
"What do you mean?" demanded the owner angrily.
"Surely the sound of money is fair payment for the smell of food," replied Hodja.
Kadı Nasreddin - Nasreddin as a Judge
Nasreddin as a Judge - Kadı Nasrettin
There was a delicious smell of cooking coming from the restaurant in the middle of Akşehir. A poor, starving man was passing the open window of the restaurant. All he had was a crust of bread, and no money to buy some of the meat balls which he could see frying in a pan. He took out his crust of bread and held it above the pan, hoping to capture some of the delicious vapour. When he ate the bread, it seemed to taste much better.
The owner of the restaurant saw what was happening and ran out and seized the poor man. He dragged him before Nasreddin Hodja, the judge. The Hodja listened to the story, and then he took two coins from his pocket and held them in his closed hand.
"Come here a minute," he said to the restaurant owner, and he rattled the coins close to the man's ear. "Now the fine has been paid," said Nasreddin.
"What do you mean?" demanded the owner angrily.
"Surely the sound of money is fair payment for the smell of food," replied Hodja.