Khoja Nasreddin: The Art of the Border Crossing

Beyond his preoccupations with the sublime, the late Khoja Nasreddin was a master of the science of smuggling.

For years, he crossed the Afghan border back and forth, accompanied by nothing but a donkey heavily laden with bundles of straw.

Whenever the border officials asked if he had anything to declare, the good Khoja’s answer remained the same: "Nothing but straw!"

A rough, suspicious search invariably followed. Yet no matter how much the guards and tax collectors poked and prodded, they found nothing but straw and chaff.

Years later, the head of customs ran into the Khoja at a teahouse on the outskirts of Herat and sat down with him for a cup of tea.

"All those years, we knew you were up to something, but we never found a thing," the official said. "Now that both our beards have turned white as snow, tell me—what were you smuggling all that time?"

The Khoja arched an eyebrow and, with a small smile, replied:

"Donkeys, my friend! Donkeys!"