Mulla Nasruddin’s wife, Gulzan, had kept some goat dung in a clay pot to ward evil spirits off. But as the pot became infested with scorpions, she asked Mulla to throw it away. Mulla was too scared to do it and tried to put her off. One night, he saw a thief outside his window. He gently woke Gulzan up and whispered a plan. Then, Mulla said loudly, “Thieves are on the loose in this town. Be careful about your precious ornaments!” Gulzan said, “But I keep all my jewellery in a clay pot in the next room!” The thief, who heard this, located the clay pot quickly. “Eeeeooooo,” he screamed as scorpions stung him and he ran out of the house. Gulzan asked, “Are you not going to take this pot out?” Mulla said, “The scorpions have paid rent by saving us from getting robbed. You can’t just throw them away, can you?” Gulzan smiled at her husband’s cleverness.
The Scorpions’ Rent
