It happened once upon a time that Mullah Nasruddin managed to get a fine piece of liver as a gift from a friend. He was walking home, carrying his prize in a bowl, when he met another friend.

“Mullah,” said the friend, “What a nice piece of liver you have. Let me offer you an excellent recipe. You will think you are in heaven!” And he carefully told Nasruddin how to prepare it.

“It is a little complicated,” said Nasruddin. “Please write it down.”

So the friend wrote down the steps of the recipe, which certainly sounded very appetising. Then, clutching the recipe in one hand, and the bowl of liver in the other, Nasruddin continued on his way home.

As he went, he savoured the thought of the fine dish he was going to enjoy, thanks to the gifts of his two friends. Before he got to his door, though, an enormous crow suddenly flew down, snatched the liver from the bowl, and flew off.

Watching the bird disappear with his prize, Nasruddin called out, “The joke is on you, you shameless thief! You have the meat but I still have the recipe!”