It happened once that Mullah Nasruddin was hurrying to get somewhere and unintentionally bumped into a well-dressed gentleman. The collision apparently disturbed the man, and he said angrily to the Mullah, “Watch where you are going! Do you know who I am?”

Nasruddin looked at the gentleman carefully, and then said, “Yes, I have seen you before, in the lunatic asylum.”

“Lunatic asylum?!” the man said furiously. “You are the lunatic! I am a member of the royal court, one of the king’s closest advisors!”

“Yes,” said the Mullah, “that’s exactly what I just said.”