T0206. Don't Disturb the Camels

Nasruddin falls into a grave; he lies there and meditates on death. He hears a noise; he thinks it is Angel of Death. He jumps, run, falls over a wall, stampedes some camels. The camel drivers beat him. When he got home, his wife asks, "What's wrong?" "I was dead!" "How was it?" "Not bad, but watch out for the camels: if you disturb the camels, you'll get beaten."

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Notes: Sometimes told about mules carrying pottery instead of camels, and instead of thinking it is the Angel of Death, Nasruddin is indignant that they are taking a shortcut through the cemetery. There are various explanations for how he ended up in the grave. (There is a whole subset of Nasruddin-cemetery stories that morph into one another, recombining bits of plot.)