Once upon a time there was a king who wanted
to go fishing.
He called the royal weather forecaster and
enquired as to the weather forecast for the next few hours.
The weatherman assured him that there was no
chance of rain in the coming days.
So the king went fishing with his wife, the
queen. On the way he met a farmer on his donkey. Upon seeing the king the
farmer said, "Your Majesty, you should return to the palace at once
because in just a short time I expect a huge amount of rain to fall in this
area".
The king was polite and considerate, he
replied: "I hold the palace meteorologist in high regard. He is an
extensively educated and experienced professional. Besides, I pay him very high
wages. He gave me a very different forecast. I trust him and I will continue on
my way." So he continued on his way.
However, a short time later a torrential rain
fell from the sky. The King and Queen were totally soaked and their entourage
chuckled upon seeing them in such a shameful condition.
Furious, the king returned to the palace and
gave the order to fire the weatherman at once!
Then he summoned the farmer and offered him
the prestigious and high paying role of royal forecaster.
The farmer said, "Your Majesty, I do not
know anything about forecasting. I obtain my information from my donkey. If I
see my donkey';s ears drooping, it means with certainty that it will
rain."
So the king hired the donkey.
And so began the practice of hiring asses to work in
the government and occupy its highest and most influential positions.
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