The Son of My Father

One fine day Tok Teh travelled to the capital city. It had been a good thirty years since he last travelled to Kuala Lumpur and was eager to see all the development and meet the city folk who had a reputation in his village as being a smart people. He thought the best place to meet intelligent people who have to be the barber shop since it was a hive of local activity and gossip. When he set foot in the barber shop, the patrons ignored him. When it was his turn to get his hair cut, the barber asked him where he was from. Tok Teh told him and the barber smiled wryly because the people from tok Teh's village had a reputation for being a little stupid. The barber decided to have a little fun with the Tok Teh. "If you can answer my riddle, I will cut your hair and shave your face for free," said the barber. Tok Teh wasn't one to turn down a free cut and shave and readily agreed. "Who is the son of my father but not my brother?" asked the barber. Tok Teh thought long and hard, but could not get the answer. After one hour he gave up and asked the barber to reveal the answer. "It's me," replied the barber. When Tok Teh returned to his village, he was eager to relate his experience to the village folk. So he went to the local coffee shop and proudly announced, "I will buy everyone here a cup of tea if they can answer the riddle posed to me by a barber in Kuala Lumpur." The village folk were eager to hear the riddle and inclined their ears towards Tok Teh. "Who is the son of my father but not my brother?" asked Tok Teh. The village folk thought long and hard. The time for prayer passed but the village folk had not answered the riddle. Finally, at midnight, they gave up and asked Tok Teh to reveal the answer. He sat up straight relishing the anticipation and replied, "The barber in Kuala Lumpur."

ISBN 978-983-3698-44-8 (p.71)