Hodja Nasreddin and the Foolish Neighbor – A Fun Turkish Fairy Tale for Children

Brief Description: A funny and educational story about how Hodja Nasreddin taught his foolish neighbor the importance of attention and cleverness. This tale with humor teaches children to think before making decisions.

In a small village, there lived Hodja Nasreddin. Everyone knew him: he was wise, but also had a great sense of humor. The villagers often came to him for advice, and he always found a way to help, often with a joke.

Next door to Hodja lived a man named Ahmet. He was kind but very foolish, often getting into trouble because of his carelessness. One morning, Ahmet ran to Hodja in complete despair.

"Hodja, help me!" he cried. "Last night, I lost my donkey! I searched the whole village, but I can't find him anywhere."

Hodja listened to Ahmet and asked, "Where did you see the donkey last?"

"I tied him up in the yard, but then I decided to give him some freedom and untied him so he could walk around. Now he's gone!" complained Ahmet.

Hodja thought for a moment and replied, "Ahmet, you probably forgot to tell the donkey not to leave. If you let him go, he probably thought he could go wherever he wanted."

Ahmet thought for a while. "But how can the donkey understand what I'm telling him?"

Hodja smiled and said, "Ahmet, your donkey doesn’t understand words, but he understands your actions. If you release him, he thinks he can go wherever he likes. Next time, before you untie the donkey, think about how to keep him in place."

Ahmet scratched his head and asked, "What should I do now? Where should I look for him?"

"Try looking where he would be comfortable. Donkeys always look for places with grass and water," advised Hodja.

Ahmet ran to the nearest pasture and indeed found his donkey. He returned to Hodja and thanked him, "You saved me again! Thank you for your wisdom."

Hodja replied with a smile, "Ahmet, remember: sometimes you need to think not only with your own head but also try to understand how others think, even if it's a donkey."

From that day on, Ahmet became more attentive in his actions. And in the village, people laughed for a long time about how Hodja Nasreddin taught his foolish neighbor to be more mindful.

The Moral of the Story: This story teaches that before acting, one must think about the consequences. It is important to consider not only your own thoughts but also the logic of others, even if they are animals.

Questions about the story:

• Why did Ahmet lose his donkey?
• What advice did Hodja Nasreddin give his neighbor?
• What did Ahmet learn from this story?