Nasruddin Sha went to visit a friend who had just opened an inn. Above the door of the inn, a sign said proudly: `the guest is our master’. As the two men were talking, the first customer walked in and sat down. He was a large, rough-looking man. `Satisfy me, or you will be sorry,’ he shouted at the owner, holding up a small coin. `With this money, I want to be entertained.’

The owner did not know what to do. Although he wanted too please the customer, he knew it was not possible. A plate of rice alone would cost more than that little. Suddenly Nasruddin Sha took the coin, crossed the street and bought something from the market. Then he returned, holding it in his hand.

`There you are, enjoy yourself,’ he said with a bow. He gave the man a small slice of watermelon. `Now you can eat the flesh, drink the juice, and spit out the seeds for entertainment!’

Puppy began to visit Mr. Rao

Pitto and puppy were dogs that lived next door to each other. Pitto belonged to Mr. Rao, and puppy to Mr. Reddy. Pitto and puppy were very good friends. They played together all day long. But Mr. Rao and Mr. Reddy did not like each other.

One day, Pitto disappeared. Mr. Rao looked for him all over the colony, but he was nowhere to be found.

`Lost, is he?’ said Mr. Reddy, when he heard about it. `Good thing, too He is no good. He gives my puppy bad habits. Puppy disappears at night too, for long hours.’

Then puppy began to visit Mr. Rao. He jumped on him, and begged. He caught him by the leg of his trousers, and pulled. Mr. Rao was angry. `Go away,’ he shouted at puppy. `You are as big a nuisance as your master.’

The next day, puppy did the same thing. He pulled Mr. Rao to the door. `Oh! All right,’ said Mr. Rao and followed puppy grumpily.

Puppy led him a mile away, to where Pitto lay in a ditch. He had fallen into a deep ditch and hurt himself badly. All round him lay scraps of food-chappatis, bread, biscuits and bones. Puppy had found him, and carried bits his own food to his friend.

In this way, he had kept puppy alive for over a week. Every night, he had run away from his comfortable home to stay with his best friend.

Mr. Rao took Pitto to the vet. Then Mr. Rao to Mr. Reddy and told him what had happened. `Our dogs are good neighbors’ he said at the end. `We should be good neighbors, too.’

`What did we quarrel about?’ Mr. Reddy asked.

`I don’t remember,’ said Mr. Rao.

`Neither does me,’ said Mr. Reddy.

The two men made up. Pitto and puppy played together all day, and the two masters became good friends.