Thought 09SEP2008

A CLASSIC CASE OF STUPIDITY
Many years ago, in a land far away, three vagrants roamed the countryside in search of adventure. Their quest brought them to an orderly village where they created their own sense of excitement considered unacceptable by the town's people. For their serious unlawful behaviour, the three were sentenced to death by the guillotine.
When the fateful day arrived, the executioner double-checked the equipment and indicated he was ready to begin. But when the first victim was placed on the guillotine, it didn't work. "Unbelievable!" shouted the executioner. "The laws of our and dictate we must set you free." The second drifter was positioned beneath the murderous blade and again, the guillotine stuck. He too was freed.

The third man had watched the previous equipment failure and his two friends set free. As he lay on the platform, eyes glaring up at the weapon that would end his life, he suddenly blurted, "Wait a minute, I see your problem. If you would just oil that hinge ..."
Extracted from 'Speaker's Sourcebook II', Glenn Van Ekeren, Prentice Hall, 1994

A man who pays respect to the great paves the way for his own greatness - African Proverb