Plucking the Pigeon
Once upon a time Working
Joe was outdoors, hammering nails, though the air was freezing cold. Big Boss
was driving by in his stretch limo just then; he ordered the driver to stop,
and rolled down a window.
Big Boss said, “Isn’t
seven more than five?”
Working Joe said,
“Isn’t thirty-two more than twelve?”
Big Boss said, “Have
you ever had a fire in your house?”
Working Joe said,
“Not yet, but she’ll set one in five years and he’ll set one in ten.”
Big Boss said, “Can
you pluck a pigeon?”
Working Joe said,
“Send me one and you’ll see.”
Big Boss rolled
up his window and ordered the driver to go. He then turned to Suxel, sitting
next to him, and said, “Did you understand any of that?”
Suxel said, “How
could I? You spoke in riddles.”
Big Boss said, “And
you call yourself a super-lawyer! You, supposedly the cleverest man in town,
but this working man understood me and you didn’t! I give you three days to
figure out what we said. If you don’t, then you’re fired!”
Suxel was stunned.
He hurried to his office, and called an emergency meeting of all his
subordinates, but none could figure out the riddles. Suxel then summoned
Working Joe, and he asked Working Joe what that conversation meant.
Working Joe said,
“I’ll tell you if you pay me five hundred thousand dollars.”
Suxel said, “How
dare you! Five hundred thousand dollars for some wretched riddles?”
Working Joe
retorted, “If it’s not worth the money then don’t pay,” and he left.
On the third day
Suxel knocked on Working Joe’s door. He said, “All right, I’ll pay!”
Working Joe said,
“The price has gone up to a million.”
Suxel said, “All
right, all right! Here’s a check! Now tell me, quickly!”
Working Joe said,
“When Big Boss saw me working in the cold he asked if seven isn’t more than
five. He meant to ask whether I did not earn enough in the seven warm months to
make unnecessary my work in the five cold months. I answered that thirty-two is
more than twelve. I meant that with my thirty-two teeth I could eat up more
than I could earn in all twelve months.
“Big Boss then
asked if I have had a fire in the house. By this he meant to ask if I have sent
any children off to college, for that costs as much as a fire in the house. I
replied that my daughter will go in five years and my son in ten.
“Big Boss then
asked me if I could pluck a pigeon. I replied, send me one and you’ll see. As
you can see, he sent me you. So now go back to Big Boss and tell him if I have
done so or not.”
Moral: If you can’t tell who’s
the pigeon, then you’re it.
