One morning Nasreddin left his
house with six donkeys to go to the market. After a time, he got tired and got
on one of them. He counted the donkeys, and there were only five, so he got off
and went to look for the sixth. He looked and looked but did not find it, so he
went back to the donkeys and counted them again. This time there were six, so
he got on to one of them again and they all started.
After a few minutes he counted
the donkeys again, and again there were only five ! While he was counting
again, a friend of his passed, and Nasreddin said to him, “ I left my house
with six donkeys ; then I had five; then I had six again ; and now I have only
five! Look ! one, two, three, four, five.”
“ But, Nasreddin,” said his friend ,” You are
sitting on a donkey too! That is the sixth! and you are the seventh!”