The Soup Story

 The Soup Story...

An old friend of Nasruddin once came visiting and brought along a big

chicken. Mullah's wife cooked the chicken and they enjoyed the feast for

dinner. The next morning, they had delicious chicken soup that Mullah's wife

prepared. The friend enjoyed his short stay with Mullah.

 

 The next day when he was leaving, Mullah returned his friend's profuse

thanks by thanking the latter for bringing the big chicken along.

 

 An hour after his friend had left Mullah heard a knock on the door. When

he opened the door, a man introduced himself and quickly entered: " I am a

friend of your friend who brought you that big chicken!"

 

 Reluctant to insult the friend of a friend, Mullah invited the man inside

and asked him to stay back for lunch. They had some lovely chicken stew for

lunch, which the man also enjoyed. Having eaten like a glutton, the man left

thanking Mullah profusely for the tasty chicken.

 

A couple of hours later, there was a knock on the door and Mullah beheld

another stranger before him. "I am the friend of your friend's friend," the

man smiled.

 

Again, not wanting to turn away the friend of a friend's friend, Mullah

invited him inside and asked him to stay back for dinner. The man accepted

hurriedly. He too feasted on some delicious chicken stew and left smacking

his lips some time later.

 

 Barely had the man left, there was another knock and another stranger at

the door! The friend-of-a-friend story all because of a chicken was now

getting Mullah's goat! "My house has been turned into an eating house!"

Mullah muttered to himself as he permitted the man to enter.

 

 The next day too there was no respite as another man entered with the same

tale: "I am a friend of the friend of the friend of the friend of the friend

who had come here with a huge chicken!"

 

 Mullah smiled weakly and asked the man to come right in and have a meal.

The man entered hurriedly, smacking his lips in anticipation of a tasty

chicken meal. A few minutes later, a bowl of soup was placed before him.

Just one sip told the man that this 'soup' was nothing but boiled water.

 

" This is nothing but boiled water!" the man protested angrily.

 

" Not at all!" Mullah smiled wickedly. " This is the soup of the soup of the

soup of the soup of the soup of the soup of the chicken!"

 

Moral of the story:

 

When people take advantage of your generosity and hospitality, do not turn

them away rudely. Instead, invite them in and serve them a lesson they will

never forget for a long time to come - just as Mullah did by serving the

soup of the soup of the soup . . .