It's late in the evening and the sun is sinking low in the sky, as Nezruddin comes to the gate at the border. Now the border guard has heard of Nezruddin for years and having finally met him, he knew to be wary. He tells him as much saying "Nezruddin, you're reputation is well known here. You are not to be trusted. You are a trickster, a smuggler and a thief. I'm gonna have to search you and your pony."
Nezruddin makes a pretense of being angry and frightened at the same time. The guard seaches his pockets, his shoes and pats him from head to toe. Nothing. The guard turns to the pony. He checks under the saddle and blanket. Nothing. He checks the saddle bag to the left. Some old clothes a bit of tobacco, a small clay pipe, and a bit of jerky. He checks the saddle bag to the right.....and it's full of sand!! "A-Hah" says the guard and sticks his hand in the bag and starts to sift through the sand. Nothing. H efinally gives up, saying "I know you have something but you've won for now."
A couple of nights later the same thing occurs. One saddle bag of ordinary items, and this time the other is full of feathers. A few days later, one bag of clothes, one of manure (the guard sifted through that one twice!)
This continues off and on for several years, until finally the guard retires.
One day Nezruddin stops at a tavern and the retired guard is sitting there. They exchange a few words of meaningless greeting and sit down together. The guard finally says "Now you know it's all in the past and I couldn't do anything now anyways, but I just have to know. All those years you were smuggling, weren't you?"
Nezruddin nods
"Please tell me, what was it?!?" Nezruddin shrugs and replies with a grin, "Ponies"


Thanks to Auxiris for starting these up. Hope this can be a daily feature for a while.

Rich