Nasrettin Hoca came home and was so tired that he could hardly keep his eyes open. He was also ravenously hungry. His wife quickly prepared a delicious dinner for him and they ate together. Soon after, fatigue again got the upper hand and they went to sleep. In the middle of the night, his wife woke up. She thought that she has heard a noise from the garden. Frightened, she addressed Nasrettin Hoca.

"Hoca, Hoca wake up. I hear noises outside. "

Nasrettin Hoca did not think in the least of getting up now and running out into the cold night. "Lovely wife, I'm sure it's just a cat," he reassured her and went back to sleep.

The next morning they both woke up and after breakfast Nasrettin Hoca wanted to ride to town. He ran to the stable to get his donkey ready for the ride. There he noticed the open stable door. Curious, he looked inside and was taken by surprise. Karakacan, his beloved donkey and best friend, was gone. "Karakacan, Karakacan!" he called desperately for his donkey and then ran anxiously to his wife, "Woman, did you leave the stable door open?"

"Hoca," she exclaimed, startled, "the noises last night were not from a cat, but from a thief!"

"What?" exclaimed Nasrettin in shock.

"Hoca, my dear Hoca, the donkey must have been stolen."

Nasrettin Hoca was close to tears. He loved his donkey almost as much as he loved his own wife. Like a decapitated chicken, he ran back and forth in bewilderment, asking everyone who crossed his path if anyone had seen anything. After a short time, quite a few people gathered around Nasrettin Hoca and listened to his wailing and complaining. "Has anyone seen the thief? Has anyone seen my donkey, my karakacan?" he asked the villagers.

"Nasrettin Hoca why didn't you put a sturdy padlock on the stable door?" asked one of the bystanders.

"The padlock was sturdy," Nasrettin replied.

"Probably not sturdy enough," replied the other.

"But Hoca," began another , "that the donkey was stolen is no wonder. The windows and boards of the stable are old and decrepit. The thief was literally invited." The bystanders murmured in agreement.

"Why didn't you tie the donkey tightly in the stable? That would have kept the thief from taking the animal so easily," another interjected.

Nasrettin Hoca could not bear these accusations any longer. He sought help and what he got to hear were accusations. Angrily, he looked around and said:

"My dear neighbors and friends, am I the only one to blame for this incident? Is the thief not to blame at all?"

(...)