Mullah Nasrudin appears as the whimsical character in a growing tradition of stories dating from at least the thirteenth century.

The tales of Nasrudin are sometimes adapted and used as teaching stories not just by the Sufis but also by such diverse and alien organizations as the British Society of the Promotion of Christian Knowledge and the Soviet Government.

His stories also appear in psychology textbooks, illuminating the workings of the mind in a way no straightforward explanation can.

These traditions use jokes and stories to express certain ideas, allowing one to bypass normal thought patterns. 

By developing a series of impacts that reinforce certain key ideas, the rational mind is occupied with a surface meaning whilst other concepts are introduced. Thus paradox, unexpectedness, and alternatives to convention are all expressed in the humor of Mullah Nasrudin.

One day the Mullah Nasrudin went to his neighbor and asked to borrow his large pot. The neighbor reluctantly loaned him the pot indicating a lack of trust.

Next day Mullah Nasrudin returned the pot with a small pot saying, "Your pot was pregnant, had labor and here's the baby. It belongs to you." The neighbor thought this was odd but accepted the gift believing that one should not look into the mouth of a gift horse.

A week went by and once again Mullah Nasrudin borrowed the pot and returned it the following day with a small pot as the new born child.

Next week again when the Mullah asked to borrow the pot the neighbor was only to pleased to comply. Next day went by and the Mullah did not return the pot and the neighbor became worried.

On the third day the neighbor went to the Mullah demanding the return of his pot. Mullah told him, "Alas my friend that's impossible your pot has passed away in labor."

The neighbor became mad and screamed, "Look, you idiot, who do you take for a fool. We all know pots do not die in labor."

"My friend," the Mullah replied calmly, "We have already established that the pot become pregnant, had labor and you even have two of the babies. I cannot help it if you were unlucky and your pot could not survive the third labor in such a short time span. You should have looked after it better."

It is said, there are as many interpretations to Nasrudin's stories as stars in the sky.

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