The Stranger’s Request

One day, Mulla Nasrudin was repairing his roof, and was interrupted by a stranger knocking on his door.

“What do you want?” Nasrudin shouted down to him from the roof.

“Come down so I can tell you,” the stranger replied.

Nasrudin angrily climbed down the ladder. “Well!” Nasrudin snapped at the stranger, “What is so important?”

“Can you spare some money for this poor old man?” asked the stranger in a near whisper.

Nasrudin started to climb up the ladder and said, “Follow me up to the roof.”

When they both reached the roof, Nasrudin turned to the stranger and said, “No, you can’t have any money. Now get off my roof!”