Nasreddin was leading a donkey and carrying on its back a bundle of wooden sticks, trying to cross the border, when Inspector Rakan stopped him for inspection and asked him: What is your name, man, and what is the nature of your work?
Nasreddin answered: I am an honest smuggler and my name is Nasreddin. Inspector Rakan was surprised by Nasreddin’s strange response! He said to him: What are you saying, man? Do you admit you are a smuggler? Nasreddin said: Yes, I am. Inspector Rakan searched him well but didn’t find anything with him.
He had warned him before inspection that if he found anything with him, he would make him pay large fees to cross the border. But Nasreddin told him with confidence and firmness that he wouldn’t find anything with him. Indeed, Inspector Rakan didn’t find anything smuggled, so he allowed him to cross the border, saying: You managed to cross today, but perhaps not another day.
A week later, Nasreddin came riding a donkey and carrying a bundle of straw, wanting to cross the border with it. Inspector Rakan saw him and stopped him as he did the previous time, and said to him: You won’t escape this day, Nasreddin. After that, he searched the pile of straw well and searched Nasreddin, but he also didn’t find anything with him at all, so he allowed him to cross the border a second time.
Another week came and Inspector Rakan saw Nasreddin again with his donkey, carrying some wood on it. He searched him also like every time but to no avail. When he found nothing, he allowed him to cross a third time. This continued for several years, with Nasreddin coming with his donkey and some loads, and Inspector Rakan searching him and unable to find anything.
The strange thing was that Nasreddin appeared to be wealthy, year after year, through his expensive clothes and precious jewelry he wore. After several years, Inspector Rakan retired, but he couldn’t forget that honest smuggler named Nasreddin. One day, while the investigator was walking in the market, he saw Nasreddin there wearing clothes of extreme elegance and refinement.
Although he changed his appearance a little, the inspector recognized him, approached him, and said to him: I know that you are the same person who used to cross the border with a donkey, carrying bundles of straw or wooden sticks on its back. I would like to talk with you for just one minute?
Nasreddin said to him: What is the thing you want to say in that one minute? The inspector said: I am always curious about your story and I would like to know if you were actually a smuggler, what was the thing you were smuggling across the border?
And please be honest with me, I am now retired and no longer hold my previous job, so tell me the truth and don’t evade? What were you smuggling all those long years across the border? Nasreddin smiled and answered: I was smuggling donkeys.
The story is from Indian literature Translated from Honest Smuggler