The padishah decided to laugh at Nasreddin Afandi. He ordered forty courtiers to take one chicken egg each and, diving into the pool, hide the eggs there. When this was done, the padishah called Afandi:
“You, Afandi, with these forty people, get into the pool, and let each of you take out one chicken egg from there.” Those who fail to do this will remain in the water for the whole day.
Afandi was forced to agree. All forty people quickly pulled out a chicken egg from the bottom of the pool. But Afandi, no matter how hard he searched at the bottom, found nothing. Finally, he got out of the water, spread his fingers and, flapping his hands on his sides like a bird with its wings, began, to the surprise of everyone, to shout: “Ku-ka-re-ku!”
- Hey, Afandi, what does this mean? - asked the padishah. Afandi replied:
- For so many chickens you need at least one rooster!
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru