It happened one night that Mullah Nasruddin realised he had not a drop of water in his house, and so taking his bucket he went to the neighbourhood well. The way was lit by a fine moon shining in the sky.

At the well, Nasruddin looked down into the darkness, and to his astonishment saw the moon below him.

“The moon has fallen into the well,” he said to himself. “This is a disaster!”

Setting the bucket aside, he took the well rope with its iron hook and lowered it down, hoping to fish the moon out again.

Bending over the rim of the well, he swung the hook around wildly until it caught on something, and then he pulled. Finding the moon to be very heavy, he braced his feet against the well and pulled harder and harder, until with a snap the rope broke, and Nasruddin flew backward, thumping his head on the ground.

Lying breathless and half stunned on the ground, Nasruddin gazed up at the sky, and saw the moon shining serenely down at him.

“It wasn’t easy,” he said, “but by the grace of the Almighty and my hard work, now the moon is back where it belongs.”