It happened once upon a time that a certain king became completely disgusted with the untruthful behaviour of his subjects. “All day long I am plagued with complaints about their dishonesty,” he said bitterly.  “This one lied to that one, that one cheated the other one, a third one deceived everybody.  Enough! From now on, only honest people will enter my city.”  And he gave orders that a gallows should be erected beside the city gate, and everyone who wished to enter the city would be questioned: those who told the truth would be permitted to enter, but those who told a lie would be hanged forthwith.

As the king ordered, so it was done, and the next morning, when the city gates were opened, guards were standing ready to question everyone who came forward.  The first to present himself was none other than the incomparable Mullah Nasruddin.

“Where are you going?” demanded the captain of the guards.

“I am going to be hanged,” replied the Mullah.

The captain looked at the Mullah suspiciously.  “To be hanged?  What kind of absurd story is this?  Who goes to be hanged?  I don’t believe you!”

“Then you must hang me,” said the Mullah.

Now the captain frowned. “But that would make what you say true…”

“Yes,” said the Mullah, smiling. “And to hang a man who tells the truth–is that not a lie?”

The captain glanced around nervously.  This was an unexpected development, one not covered in his orders.

“And I wonder what would be the penalty,” said the Mullah, smiling still more broadly, “for hanging someone who tells the truth?”