Every Saturday, Nasreddin went to the market to buy
food and other things. He put them in a big basket, but he was old and weak, so
he always paid another man to carry the basket home for him. But one Saturday,
while he was walking home in front of the man with the basket, the man ran away
with it.
The
next Saturday, when Nasreddin went to the market again, a friend of his said, “
Look, there he is! That man stole your things last week!”
Nasreddin
at once hid behind a shop, and stayed there until the man left the market.
His
friend was very surprised. “Why did you do that?” he asked.
“Well,”
said Nasreddin, “ that man was carrying my basket when he left me a week ago.
He will want me to pay him for seven days’ work, and that will cost me more
than a basket full of things!”