A man was caught in a river current, hanging on to some rocks in order to avoid being carried away.
Nasrudin and a friend noticed this. The friend extended his arm, and said, “Give me your hand so I can help you out.”
The man, however, did not cooperate. Nasrudin then asked the man what he did for a living. “I collect taxes,” the other replied.
“Then take my hand,” Nasrudin said, upon which the man finally cooperated. Nasrudin then turned to his friend and remarked, “Tax collectors speak the language of take, not the language of give.”