TAKE MY HAND IMAM EFFENDI
One day the Hodja and his friends had gone on a picnic by a lake. Before sitting down to eat, they went to the waterside to wash their hands. One of them, the Imam, got too near the edge, slipped and fell headlong into the lake.
The water was rather deep, and if they didn't act quickly the man would certainly drown. He went down once, and when he came up the nearest man, extending his hand, shouted:
"Give me your hand, Imam Effendi, and I will pull you out!"
But the imam made not the slightest effort to do so. Others tried the same thing, with similar result. The Imam had submerged for the third time when the Hodja pushed past the little crowd and came close to the edge.
"Take my hand, Imam Effendi, and I will pull you out!"
Upon which the Imam vigorously grasped the Hodja's hand and was pulled out to safety. The Hodja, turned to his friends, explained:
"It seems to me that you don't know our esteemed friend, the Imam Effendi, as well as I do. His motto in life has always been TAKE. When you say GIVE, the propostiion does not appeal to him, even when it is to save his life."
