Nasretin Hodja - from the Preposterous to the Sublime

Many versions of what are commonly known as ‘Nasretin Hodja stories’ can be found in the Turkish comunity of Tarsus. The narratives are commonly used to lend weight to a wide assortment of arguments. That Nasretin Hodja is credited with great wit and wisdom does not negate the fact that some stories are sarcastic, idiotic and at times cuttingly negative. The majority of the stories, with some minor exceptions, are presented warts and all. You the reader are left ponder the morals and ethics that each story seeks to rationalize.