He picked it up and examined it closely.  Suddenly he saw his own face reflected back at him.  “Oh!” he exclaimed.  “What an ugly thing!  No wonder it was thrown away.”

Another popular character in Turkish folklore is the Bektashi, a member of a Shi’ite religious order by the same name.  His popularity may derive in part from his liberal attitudes toward alcohol, fasting, and prayer.  Like some of the Nasreddin Khoja stories above, the Bektashi sample plays on logical or illogical inference.

God and the Penny

One day a Bektashi went to a Turkish bath, where he stayed for a long time and enjoyed the warm waters and fine service of the bath attendants. 

After he dressed and was about to leave, however, he realized that he had no money to pay the owner.  The price was only a penny.

“Oh God,” he prayed, “give me a penny so that I may pay the bath owner.  Or do something to save me from my shame.”

Just then, the dome of the bathhouse came crashing down to the floor, creating a great confusion.  Seeing this as a sign, the Bektashi rushed out the door, but bumped into a beggar on the street.

“Please sir, give me a penny,” implored the beggar.

“Sorry,” replied the Bektashi, “but things are so bad these days, not even God has a penny to give away.”

Many Turks also revel in stories showing how poor peasants can outwit prominent urbanites.