oh good!
THE PERFECT WIFE
Mulla Nasrudin was sitting in a tea shop.
His friend came excitedly to speak with him.
"I am about to get married…" his friend said, "and I am so very excited."
"Congratulations…" Mulla Nasrudin said, nonchalant, glum, poker-faced.
"Tell meNasrudinhave you ever thought of marriage yourself…?" the friend asked Mulla Nasrudin, who had remained a chronic bachelor.
Mulla Nasrudin was still a bachelor despite his advancing years.
Nasrudin replied:
"Of courseI did think of getting married. In factin my youth–I very much wanted to get married."
"So–what happened…? Why didn't you get married?" the friend asked, curious.
"I wanted to find for myself the "perfect wife"…" Nasrudin said, "soI travelled all oversearching for the "perfect wife". FirstI went to Damascus. ThereI met a beautiful womanwho was gracious, kind, and deeply spiritualbut–she had no worldly knowledge."
"Oh, how sad…!" said the friend, "then what did you do…?"
"ThenI travelled furtherand I went to Isphahan. ThereI met a woman who was both spiritual and worldlyshe was beautiful in many waysbut her social graces were not of the highest standards."
"What a tragedy…! Then–what did you do…? Did you give up…?" the friend asked.
"No. No. I don't give up so easily. AndI very much wanted to get marriedsoI kept on searching for the "perfect wife". I travelled all over the worldmeeting so many womenyesfor many years–I kept on searching and searching for the "perfect wife"…" Nasrudin said.
"Anddid you find her…? Tell medid you finally find the "perfect wife"…?" the friend asked eagerly.
"Yes…" Nasrudin said, "after travelling all over for many yearsand meeting so many women in my quest for the "perfect wife"finallyI went to Cairoand thereafter much searchingI found her. She was exactly what I wanted. She was spiritually profound, intellectually accomplished, extremely graceful and truly beautiful in every respectyesshe was the ideal woman for me in all aspects. I knew I had found the "perfect wife"…"
"Then why didn't you marry her…?" the friend asked excitedly.
"Alas…" Nasrudin said, as he shook his head in dismay, "Unfortunately–she was searching for the "perfect husband"…"
"I am of the archetypal essence of a terrestrial mortal and supersensible eternal human who knows, loves, and possesses the blessing of my terrestrial and supersensible Soul Mates, with whom I engage in continual dialectical interchange."