Who Shall Feed The Donkey? (1950s)

[Music] Have you ever thought that the moving picture screen in front of you is like a curtain, a magic curtain that can open out on anything in the world? Here we can see a quiet corner in a nearby town where our faithful donkey Slowfoot is eagerly waiting for us. Eagerly [Music] waiting, Sloot is going to carry us to that coffee house where an old shake often retells the beloved stories of Naseradin Hocha. Usually that young radical Hamid tries to annoy us, but today the street seems clear. Hamid. Hamid. What happened? Dropped my cigarette. Oh, is that all? Into a barrel of gunpowder. Quiet, snuggles. Hamid, what were you doing with? No questions. Remember, these are violent days. Oh, Hamid. Well, come along, Slowfoot. You can stand near the coffee house and listen while the shake tells of Nasaredine Hocha. Friends, our leaders say the world is ours. When all the workers of the world unite, those who oppose us will be destroyed. If you are not destroyed first and his friends are afraid of nothing, Hammed, the police are looking for you. Hide me, Bhan. Hide me. But they want to tell you your house is on fire. My house? Someone is plotting against me. Oh. Oh, what a nuisance. Yes, Burhan. At least that. But he doesn't annoy me offended. I just close my eyes and pretend that Hamid and the others like him don't exist. What did you say? I said I just ignore them. Offendi, but surely that is not wise. Borha, why not offend? The threat that Hamid and his group of friends represent certainly deserves all the alertness and precaution that we would show to any obvious danger. but offended. Our free and peaceful way of life will stand by itself because it is good. No, Burhan, it will not stand without active caution and defense. If we stubbornly insist that we need not do any more about this present danger to our way of life, than just keep repeating our way is right. Why, our house may be destroyed right out from under us. Our house offendi. Yes, Buran. I was thinking of how Nasaredin Hocha learned never to be stubborn and ignore a clear and present danger when one day such a danger almost destroyed his home. The story is called Who Shall Feed the Donkey? [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] One morning, Nasaredine Hocha was awakened by the hungry braaying of his donkey. And because it was so early and the hocher was so tired, he asked his wife to please go and feed the donkey. But his wife had her own ideas on this matter, which only made the hocher absolutely insist that she feed the donkey. [Music] This was just the beginning of a very spirited discussion that lasted for most of the morning. [Music] Finally, after they had argued themselves blue in the face and each was positive of being right, they fell into silence and decided that the first one who spoke would have to feed the donkey. For hours the obstinate silence continued until the wife got so annoyed that she left the house to pass the day with a neighbor. [Music] [Music] Now, it also happened on this eventful day that a sneaky burglar decided to make a clean sweep of the Hoch's house and not with a [Music] broom. At last he saw the hocha frozen in the chair, stubbornly refusing to speak and to recognize his danger. For a moment he wondered, and then the burglar decided, "The old giza must have had a stroke. What a day this is going to be for me. What a day this is going to be for me. [Music] Blissfully unaware of all that was happening at home, the Hoocher's wife began to feel sorry for her obstinate husband. The stubborn fellow will die of hunger rather than give in. At least I'll send him some soup. [Music] You can well imagine the boy's astonishment at the wrecked house and the silent hocher. They have sent you some soup, Hocha. What shall I do with it? Still refusing to help himself by breaking the silence, the Hocher tried to make the boy understand that the house had been robbed and that his wife ought to return at once. But the Hocher's actions were so odd the boy didn't understand at all. [Music] hearing of the destruction in her house, the Hoa's wife rushed home in a rage. [Music] Hocha, what is the meaning of all this? Ha! Wife, you talk first. Now off you go and feed the donkey. It was your stubbornness that caused all this. [Music] But no matter who was to blame, the Hocher had learned his lesson. Never again would he stubbornly refuse to recognize the threat of danger when it came into his life. Likewise, to shut our eyes, to ignore and not to resist the danger that threatens us today can only bring disaster to our houses as it did to Nasuladine. [Music]