Nasreddin was serving as an advisor to the king. One day, the king was very hungry and demanded that the cook bring his supper immediately. The cook put a plate of grilled asparagus before the king, who devoured the asparagus at once. "What a wonderful dish!" shouted the king happily. He then demanded that the cook bring him some more asparagus, and he also offered some to Nasreddin.
"What do you say, Nasreddin? Is this asparagus not the most delicious food you have ever eaten?"
Nasreddin agreed with the king. "Yes, Your Highness, this asparagus is surely the most delicious food I have ever eaten."
Under orders from the king, the cook began to serve asparagus every day. Then, about a week later, the king picked up the plate of asparagus and threw it back at the cook. "Take it away, you fool! I hate asparagus! I never want to see it served again!" Obviously, the king had grown tired of eating asparagus.
"What do you say, Nasreddin?" the king shouted. "Is this asparagus not the most disgusting food you have ever eaten?"
Nasreddin agreed with the king. "Yes, Your Highness, this asparagus is surely the most disgusting food I have ever eaten."
The king protested, "But you told me only last week that asparagus was the most delicious food you had ever eaten!"
Nasreddin smiled and said, "I did say that, Your Highness, but that is because I am the servant of the king, not of the asparagus."
