Beschrijving
The Clergyman Has no Need to Preach. A clergyman (often a layman, Nasreddin Hodja) asks his congregation whether they know what his sermon will be about. They do not know, so he berates them for their stupidity. He repeats his question the following week. This time they say they know, so he thinks he need not preach any more. The third week, the congregation is divided in their answer to the question: half say no and half say yes. The clergyman tells those who understand to teach the others [X452].
In some variants, a clergyman has to preach a sermon about a certain saint on the appropriate saint’s day. In order to avoid preaching this sermon, he announces that, since the saint performed no miracles that year, he need not give a sermon about him.
In some variants, a clergyman has to preach a sermon about a certain saint on the appropriate saint’s day. In order to avoid preaching this sermon, he announces that, since the saint performed no miracles that year, he need not give a sermon about him.
Motief
X452
Commentaar
Documented since the 10th century in Arabian jestbooks. The form with the sermon about the saint appears in the 15th century bei Poggio, Liber facetiarum (No. 38).
Oorspronkelijk Verhaaltype
1826
Subgenre
mop