Once, Mulla Nasruddin loaded a barrel of cherries on his donkey, and went off to the bazaar to sell them. On his way, a group of children saw him. They were excited to see all the cherries he was carrying. They began dancing and singing in anticipation of eating cherries. “Mulla uncle,” they said, “Please give us some cherries!” Now, Mulla was in a dilemma. On one hand, he adored children and did not want to disappoint them; but on the other hand, he loved profits and did not want to sacrifice them either. After thinking the matter over, he took six cherries out of the barrel and gave them to the children. “Can we have more?” the children asked. “Listen,” Mulla said, “these cherries all taste the same. What difference does it make if each of you eats half a cherry, or each of you eats fifty?” The children looked at him longingly as he left.
Mulla’s Cherries
