- Molla! Molla, quickly come with me,” Nasreddin’s neighbor, beside himself with delight, grabbed him by the hand and dragged him out of the house. - So-and-so has arrived! You see, there is a rumor that he is the wisest, and the most famous, and...
“Well, let’s go and look at the wisest,” Molla agreed.
They came to the teahouse. The sage sat importantly in a place of honor and listened to the laudatory speeches of those gathered around him. He barely paid attention to those who entered.
- Here he is, Molla, you see! — his friend whispered in Nasreddin’s ear. - So important, he didn’t even notice us! Have you never met him before?
“Many times,” said Nasreddin, “he is a fool.” And I have seen a lot of fools in my life.
- That can’t be true! The wisest - and suddenly a fool! How do you know?
“A wise man always recognizes a fool, for he himself was once a fool,” answered Nasreddin. “But a fool will never know a wise man, for he himself has never been wise.”
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru