Nasrudin used to sit on the terrace of a certain teahouse. One day 
a small boyran past and knocked his hat off. The Mulla took no notice.
   The same thing happened several days in succession. All the Mulla 
did was to pick up his hat and put it on again.
   Someone asked Nasrudin why he did not catch and punish the boy, 
who was small enough; or ask someone else to do it.
   ‘That’s not the way this thing is working,’ said Nasrudin.
   One day soon afterwards, the Mulla was late in reaching the cafe. 
When he got there he saw that a fearsome-looking soldier was sitting 
in his place. At that moment the small boy appeared. Such was the force 
of his habit that he tipped off the soldier’s fur cap. Without a word the 
soldier drew his sword and cut off the boy’s head, then resumed his seat.
   ‘You see what I mean?’ said Nasrudin to the friend who had questioned
his inaction.