One day the Hodja was shopping in the market place. He came in front of a garment stall. He spent quite a long time looking at the colourful shalwars, the kavuk sashes, the chemises and the coats. Eventually he picked up a shalwar. After holding it in his hands for a while, he changed his mind and picked up a coat instead. He was about to leave with the coat when the vendor asked for his money.
`Hodja Effendi, where are you going? You didn't pay for the coat!'
`I exchanged it with the shalwar.' Nasreddin Hodja replied brazenly.
`But you hadn't pay for the shalwar either.'
`Look Fellow,' the Hodja was insolent, `why should I have paid for something I didn't buy?'