The Marsh

one day Nasruddin was walking to town, when he saw some woods by the road. ‘I wonder why people don’t go that way, as a short-cut to the town,’ he mused. He decided to try. Halfway across, his foot went into a marsh, and his shoe came off, and was sucked under. ‘All right,’ he said to the mud, ‘I know why now – give me back my shoe.’ The mud said nothing. So the Mulla retraced his steps to the road, walked into town and then went back to the mud. ‘Marsh, marsh,’ he said, ‘I have given back the stolen time and effort to the short-cut: now give me back my slipper.’ No answer, so he reached into the mud and after a great struggle, he found his shoe.

‘This mud is obviously determined to make everyone pay for his mistakes. But, although he is the keeper of the public conscience,’ said the Mulla aloud, ‘he is a hypocrite! Here is my shoe, right enough; but the mud has not only taken interest by making me struggle so much, he has dirtied the shoe as well.’