Mulla Nasreddin is one of the most celebrated personalities in Persian folklore. He is a character who appears in thousands of stories, always witty, sometimes wise, even philosophic, sometimes the instigator of practical jokes on others and often a fool or the butt of a joke. Stories relating to Mulla Nasreddin are generally humorous, but in the subtle humor there is always a lesson to be learned. These stories involve people and incidents in all walks of life, from king to beggar, from cleric to politician.
This collection, published for the first time in a bilingual format, includes anecdotes popular in Iran, Turkey, and other regions of the Middle East. In preparing this volume, the editor and the translator have tried to select stories which are representative of the wit and wisdom of Mulla Nasreddin stories in the hope that these efforts will bring a few smiles to children of all ages.