It happened once upon a time that Mullah Nasruddin decided to sell his donkey. The animal had worked for him for years and the Mullah didn’t think there was much life left in him. Better to let him go and start new, he thought. Therefore he went to the market, offered the donkey for sale, and in a short time sold him to a man for thirty dinars.

Nasruddin felt satisfied, but as he was putting the coins in his pocket, he saw the man climb on top of a barrel and begin to shout.

“Friends! Here is a fine donkey for sale! Strong, fit, with years of work in him – who will give me fifty dinars for him?” And the man began to list all of the donkey’s good qualities.

Nasruddin looked again at the donkey.

“He’ll work from dawn till sunset! Patient and good tempered!” the man shouted. “He’s a bargain at fifty dinars – who will give me fifty five?”

Someone in the market shouted, “Fifty five!” and another voice immediately called, “Sixty!”

Astonished to see so much interest in the animal, Nasruddin thought, ‘What a fool I have been! This is no ordinary donkey – he’s truly a marvel! A treasure!!’ And then, he realised that the man was about to close the sale to a bid of seventy five dinars

“Seventy five dinars going once,” the man shouted. “Going twice…”

The Mullah shouted, “Eighty!”

…And went home again with his own donkey…