Nasruddin and the democracy bell 🔔

The new mayor placed a huge bell in front of the city council.

“This belongs to the people!” he announced proudly. “Whenever you have something to say, ring this bell. In a democracy, the voice of the people must always be heard!”

The people were delighted and rang the bell all week.

A farmer rang it about the dry well.

A mother rang it about the price of bread.

A teacher rang it about the leak in the school roof.

Soon the city leaders could hardly conduct their meetings.

So one night they made the bell silent.

The next morning Nasruddin watched the people pulling the bell’s rope.

He went inside.

“Brilliant solution!” he told the mayor.

The mayor looked pleased.

“You approve?”

“Completely. But tell me: if nobody can hear the bell, why not simply remove it?”

The mayor looked shocked.

“Remove it? Of course not! Then people might think we no longer listen to them.”

Nasruddin stared at him for a moment.

“Ah,” he said.

Then he went outside and joined the people pulling the rope.

The bell swung magnificently in the silence.

15 September, International Democracy Day 🗳️