Hoja's Revival (1950s)

[Music] [Music] When there is peace in a land, the narrow Streets of little towns are quiet and neighbors often find their way to the local coffee house at the noon hour. But when there is trouble, the streets are like an antill that has been poked by a stick. There is running and shouting and hiding. [Music] Oh, there is Hamid. Hello, Aphendi. Bhan, join us. Hamid, the shake was just about to tell one of his stories about Nasaredin Hocha. I don't know if uh if I have time. Oh, stop acting as if somebody is chasing you. Then sit down with us. There is a riot in the streets. An official of our government was speaking at a public meeting. Then people started shouting how wrong he was. Then someone started to throw rotten vegetables. I'm sorry to hear that. [Applause] Excuse me. I just remembered I was supposed to be someplace else. Oh, Hamid forgot his bag of vegetables. Rotten vegetables. Offended. Why is it so? Why do people like Hamid try to start public violence? Things are not going so badly with us. But you may begin to believe that our government is not good. If all this loud criticism and violence continues, even our own respected officials may begin to think they are ready for their own funerals if they hear enough bad talk about themselves. Funeral offended. I was thinking of an old story. the Hocha's funeral about what once happened to a healthy man when all he heard was talk about how he was going to die. The lesson in the story clearly explains the actions of Hamid and his comrades today 500 years later. During the days of his old age, Naseredine Hocher was appointed Cardi in his village, a position which brought out the best of his wisdom and humor, but which aroused jealousy and envy in some of his friends. That is why a joke several of them played upon the old man had more than a touch of bitterness. [Music] [Music] Armed with a small red pencil and their envy, the two villagers entered the Hoocher's courtyard and began wailing at the sight of him. "Hocha, you look awful. Your face is all spotted as if you had the plague." At first, the Hocher did not listen, but they kept on with their loud cries. Tell us, Hocher, do you feel a sudden pain when you stand up? The jokers never stop. Do you feel a terrible shaking in every bone of your body? Alas, it comes to every man when the angel of death is near. Don't try to get up. We will carry you to your bed. By the time the hoocher's wife came home from the marketplace, she found him without appetite and lost in memories of years which seemed about to end forever. In a few days, everyone in the village believed that Nasered Hocha was about to die, and he himself was asking his wife to put on her prettiest dress. She agreed, thinking, "How nice of the hocher to want to remember me at my best." But then her husband went on to say, "I just thought that if you dressed up fancy enough, the angel of death might like you better and take you instead. [Music] The morning soon came when the jokers convinced Nasodine that he had better get into his coffin without further delay. By this time, the Hocher was too weak to resist. [Music] As the procession wound its way down the road toward the graveyard, they passed a traveler who was invited to come along. The traveler was not interested until the hoer sat up in his coffin. You might as well not argue. If they convinced me that I'm dead, they'll convince you to come to the funeral. As they went on, the friendly traveler offered Hocha an orange, saying, "I don't know where to stand at a funeral." To this the Hocher replied, "Anywhere as long as it's not inside the coffin." And when at the cemetery there was no one to say the funeral speech, Nasuredin Hocha stood up with a new found strength. I uh think I am best qualified to speak in honor of Naseradin Hocha. And let me tell you for the benefit of all who would weep too soon that the hocher has never felt better in all his [Music] life. Soon laughter rose to the skies as the two jokers told how they had tried to fool the hocha. But Naseredine did not join in the general celebration. It wouldn't have been so funny if I had not heard a voice other than those who wanted me to believe I was dying. It would not have been funny at all. What was not a very funny joke in the Hoas time is even less funny today. when some people for reasons of their own spend much of their time trying to make everybody believe that our government is ill and dying. But if we are aware of what these agitators are trying to do, their tricks will be even less successful than the one that failed to work on Nasaredine Ochar. [Music]