WHEN THE END OF THE WORLD COMES
Once the Hodja had a yearling lamb. Having lovingly raised it himself, it had grown very plump and tender. One day the boys of the village conspired and one by one started coming to the Hodja, saying:
"What a fine yearling you have, Hodja Effendi! But it's a pity, because it will be wasted. As you've surely heard, tomorrow is the end of the world. Wouldn't it be better if you were to make a feast out of it today? I'm sure all the boys would love to join you."
Nasreddin Hodja chased this rascal away. He did the same with the second, the third, the fourth and the fifth one. But there was no end to the procession. At last, he came to realize that the yearling would be a goner, with or without his consent. So, in the end he pretended to believe the ridiculous story and invited the boys out to a picnic, where he promised to roast the coveted lamb.
The Hodja himself slaughtered the yearling and was busy building a fire when the boys, after having horsed around for some time, took off their clothes and went to bathe in a stream nearby.
On their return, they found the lamb roasting on a spit and the Hodja attending to it. But there was no trace of their clothes. Unable to find an explanation for the disappearance, they asked the Hodja:
"What happened to our clothes, Hodja Effendi?"
"Why, I used them to make up the fire," replied the Hodja. "I did not think you would mind. What did you want them for? Or have you forgotten that today is the end of the world?"
