Nasruddin and the mirror of truth 🗞️

A group of journalists came to Nasruddin at night.

“They’ve closed our newspaper!” said one. “Our words disturb the peace – they say.”

“Two colleagues are in jail and three went missing!” another cried.

“They took my camera,” sighed a third.

Nasruddin nodded gravely.

“Yes… truth doesn’t know when to be quiet.”

They stared at him.

The next morning, Nasruddin walked into the marketplace dragging a large mirror.

“Emergency decree!” he shouted. “All mirrors must be immediately arrested!”

People gathered, whispering.

A few who knew him better chuckled.

“Why?”

Nasruddin lifted the mirror.

“Because they show faces without permission.”

A guard pushed through the crowd.

“Nonsense! A mirror shows nothing but what is there.”

“Exactly,” Nasruddin agreed. “That’s the problem.”

The crowd laughed – then anxiously looked around to check who was laughing and who was watching.

The guard stepped closer.

“You are making trouble.”

“No,” said Nasruddin. “Trouble was already there. I just brought a mirror.”

The guard lowered his voice.

“You could be punished for this.”

Nasruddin smiled and whispered back gently,

“Of course, you are very diligent. Only harmless things are safe.”

Silence fell.

The guard hesitated, then ordered,

“Take it away.”

Nasruddin placed the mirror in the center of the marketplace and walked off without looking back.

By evening, it was still there.

No one dared to stand in front of it.