The Pot That Died
- 2 minute read
- Ages 6-11
- Moral Stories
Mulla Nasruddin borrowed a large cooking pot from his neighbour.
He brought it back a few days later with a small pot inside it.
"What is this?"
"Your pot gave birth while it was at my house," said Nasruddin. "That is her child. It belongs to you."
The neighbour looked at the small pot, which was worth a reasonable amount, and at Nasruddin, who appeared entirely serious.
He decided not to ask any questions.
"Thank you," he said, and took both.
The second loan
A month later Nasruddin came back and asked to borrow the big pot again.
The neighbour handed it over immediately.
A week went by. Then two. Then a month, and the pot did not come back, and eventually the neighbour went round to ask for it.
Nasruddin opened the door looking grave.
"I am very sorry," he said. "Your pot died."
"Died?"
"Last week. There was nothing anyone could do."
The argument
The neighbour's voice went up.
"A pot cannot die! It is made of metal! Pots do not die, they do not get ill, that is not a thing that happens to pots, and you know it!"
Nasruddin waited for him to finish.
"You had no difficulty at all," he said, "believing that it gave birth."
Moral of the story
A person who accepts an unbelievable thing when it profits them has already agreed to the rule. Nasruddin only applied it in the other direction.
Questions and answers
- What did Nasruddin return with the borrowed pot?
A small pot, which he said was the big pot's child.
- Why did the neighbour accept this?
The small pot was worth a reasonable amount, so he decided not to ask questions.
- What happened the second time?
Nasruddin borrowed the pot again and did not return it.
- What did he say when the neighbour came asking?
That the pot had died.
- What was Nasruddin's answer to the neighbour's protest?
That the neighbour had had no difficulty believing the pot could give birth.
Word meanings
- borrow
- To take something for a while and give it back.
- grave
- Serious in manner.
- profits
- Gains an advantage or money from something.
- applied
- Put into use.
Questions about The Pot That Died
What is the moral of The Pot That Died?
That accepting a ridiculous claim because it benefits you means you cannot object when the same logic goes against you.
Is Nasruddin being dishonest?
He is, and the story knows it. But it makes the neighbour's greed the reason it works, which is why the joke lands rather than feeling mean.
How widely is this story told?
It is one of the most famous Nasreddin tales and appears across the Middle East, Central Asia and South Asia in almost identical form.
What is a good discussion question?
Ask what the neighbour should have said the first time. Usually children work out that the trouble began when he took the small pot.