Khoja Nasr-ud-Dín one day addressed his congregation from the pulpit in the following words: "I beseech you to tell me truly, O brethren! O true believers! if what I am going to say to you is already known to you."

And the answer came, as in one voice, from his congregation, that they did not know, and that it was not possible for them to know, what the khoja was going to say to them.

"Then," quoth the preacher, "of what use to you or to me is an unknown subject?" – and he descended from the pulpit and left the mosque.

On the following Friday his congregation, instead of having decreased, had greatly increased, and their anxiety to hear what he was going to say was felt in the very atmosphere.

The khoja ascended the pulpit, and said: "O brethren! O true believers! I beseech you to tell me truly if what I am going to say to you is already known to you."

The answer that came to the khoja was so spontaneous as to suggest pre-arrangement. They all shouted, "Yes, khoja, we do know what you are going to say to us."

"That being the case," quoth the khoja, "there is no need either of you wasting your time or of me wasting my time" – and, descending from the pulpit, he left the mosque. His congregation, having prayed, also left gradually, one by one, and in groups.

On the following Friday Khoja Nasr-ud-Dín again mounted the pulpit, and saw that his mosque was so crowded that not a nook or corner in it was empty. He addressed his congre gation in exactly the same manner.

"O brethren! O true believers?" said he, "I ask you to tell me truly if what I am going to say is already known to you?"

And again the answer of his numerous congregation had evidently been prepared beforehand, for one-half of them rose and said: "Yes, khoja, we do know what you are going to say to us." Then the other half rose and said, "O! Khoja Effendi, how could we poor, ignorant people know what you intend to say to us?"

The kojah answered: "It is well said; and now if the half that knows what I am going to say would explain to the other half what it is, I would be deeply grateful, for, of course, it will be unnecessary for me to say anything."

Whereupon he descended from the pulpit and left the mosque.