One day an ox entered Nasreddin Hodja's vegetable garden and caused considerable amount of damage. When the Hodja came by and saw what the ox had done, he grabbed a stick and wanted to beat him but the animal escaped just in time to save his skin.
A few days later in the market place, the Hodja recognized the guilty party harnessed to a cart.
`The other day you ran away from my vegetable garden,' he said, `but now you are cornered, you can't break free.' and started to beat the poor, ignorant creature. At that time the owner of the ox came running.
`Effendi! What are you doing?' he screamed, `Why are you beating my ox, whatever did the innocent animal do to you?'
`Don't you worry,' Nasreddin Hodja replied, `he knows very well what he has done!'