One day Nasruddin was up on the roof of his house, repairing some broken tiles that were letting the rain leak through. He was not happy about being on the roof, as he was afraid of heights, and he worried about climbing on his rickety ladder.
As he was working, a stranger knocked on the door. Nasruddin heard the knock and shouted out, “What do you want?”
“Come down please” replied the stranger. “I wish to talk to you in person.”
“Just tell me!” said Nasruddin.
“Please won’t you come down,” the man said. “I only need a moment.”
Nasruddin slowly and fearfully climbed down the ladder, grumbling to himself.
“Well,” Nasruddin said when he got to the bottom. “What’s so important?”
“Could you give a little money to this poor old man?” said the stranger. “You can see that I am hungry and poor.”
Exasperated, Nasruddin started to climb up the ladder and said, “Follow me up to the roof. But be careful, as the ladder is old and rickety.”
With some hesitation, and looking quite worried, the beggar climbed the ladder. When both Nasruddin and beggar were upside, on the roof, Nasruddin said, “No.”
As he was working, a stranger knocked on the door. Nasruddin heard the knock and shouted out, “What do you want?”
“Come down please” replied the stranger. “I wish to talk to you in person.”
“Just tell me!” said Nasruddin.
“Please won’t you come down,” the man said. “I only need a moment.”
Nasruddin slowly and fearfully climbed down the ladder, grumbling to himself.
“Well,” Nasruddin said when he got to the bottom. “What’s so important?”
“Could you give a little money to this poor old man?” said the stranger. “You can see that I am hungry and poor.”
Exasperated, Nasruddin started to climb up the ladder and said, “Follow me up to the roof. But be careful, as the ladder is old and rickety.”
With some hesitation, and looking quite worried, the beggar climbed the ladder. When both Nasruddin and beggar were upside, on the roof, Nasruddin said, “No.”
