One afternoon Nasreddin visited the local bathhouse. He was wearing shabby garments and did not make a very good impression. The two bath attendants treated him badly, offering him only a tiny piece of soap and a towel that was old and dingy. Nasreddin did not complain and, when he left, he gave each of the bath attendants a gold coin. The men were amazed.
"What a surprise!" exclaimed one of the men. "If we treat this customer better the next time, our reward will surely be even greater."
A week later, Nasreddin returned to the baths. This time he was dressed in his best garments, making a very good impression indeed. The two attendants offered him the biggest soap and the best towels, treating him with the greatest respect.
When Nasreddin finished his bath and got ready to leave, he smiled at the attendants and offered each of them a single copper penny. Seeing the baffled looks on their faces, Nasreddin explained, "This is the payment for my previous visit. The gold coins I gave you last time were for this visit."
