Where the Light is

One evening, many centuries ago, a generous and happy fellow named Mansour walked through the village to visit his friend Nasruddin, sometimes called “the Holy Fool.” He found Nasruddin on his hands and knees, crawling around in the dirt under the light of a lantern.

"Nasruddin, did you lose something?  What are you looking for?”

"I lost my key,” Nasruddin replied, wiping the sweat from his brow and leaving a trail of dirt on his forehead.  “I’ve been searching for hours but I can’t find it."

"Let me help you," Mansour said.  He joined his friend, kneeling down on his hands and knees, and searching for the lost key under the light of the lantern.

After a time, having looked everywhere around the dirt road and pathway to Nasruddin’s home, Mansour asked his friend to recall his steps prior to losing the key.  "Nasruddin, can you remember when you last had the key and where you might have lost it?”

"Yes, of course, I lost it somewhere in the house,” Nasruddin said, continuing to search in the dirt. 

“In your house?" repeated the astonished Mansour. "Then why have we spent hours looking for the key outside?”

“Because there is more light here,” Nasruddin said.