One day Nasrudin lent his cooking pots to a neighbour, who was giving a feast. The neighbour returned them, together with one extra one – a very tiny pot.
‘What is this?’ asked Nasrudin.
‘According to law, I have given you the offspring of your property which was born when the pots were in my care,’ said the joker.
Shortly afterwards Nasrudin borrowed his neighbour’s pots, but did not return them.
The man came round to get them back.
‘Alas!’ said Nasrudin, ‘they are dead. We have established,
have we not, that pots are mortal?’