THE POT THAT GAVE BIRTH
One day the Hodja borrowed a huge pot from his neighbor. Next day he returned it with a smaller pot inside. When questioned about it, he said:
"Ah, I forgot to tell you. you pot gave birth to that small one while it was with us."
His neighbor was amazed, but gladly accepted both the explanation and the baby pot.
Some days later the Hodja again required the same large pot from his neighbor, who lent it to him with alacrity. But this time and although several days had passed by, there was no word from the Hodja. After waiting for a few more days, the neighbor went around to the Hodja's door.
"Hodja Effendi, what has happened to that pot I lent you?" he asked.
"Why, didn't you hear the sad news?" the Hodja replied. "Your pot died the very night I borrowed it from you!"
"Come now, Hodja Effendi, you don't expect me to believe that a pot can die, do you?"
"Well, you are a funny one!" replied the Hodja. "You readily believed me when I said it had given birth to a baby pot, but now that I say it's dead, you have the effrontery to accuse me of lying!"
