The Coffee Place's Joke Stack
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Dear Mike,
I got to thinking about what you said today about 'readin and writin'. Clarence Gore, the dearest friend anyone ever had, was not able to quickly read...even a newspaper, but read he did, it just took him a long time. While he was quite slow at reading, all other things came quickly and easily to him, including wealth. This is not to imply that he did not work hard to earn his money, it is just that he understood so many things so well, and remembered them forever. And with your mention of reading today, and my memory of Clarence, I also remembered a little story of long ago, I'll write it for you here:
The times were hard, many men had no work, and could get none. One such man walked from house to house, asking "Could I do any work for you, any at all ?". The answer always came back; "We have no work for you or anyone.". The persistant man persevered, he really had no other choice; and as he finally came into a different neighborhood, he once again knocked on a door. A 'lady' in very revealing clothing answered the door, listened to his bid for work, then told him "No, no work.". Saddened once again, he turned to try his fortune at the next house; but then the 'lady' called him back. She said to the stranger at her door; "What I need is a good bookkeeper, and if you can do the job, I'll hire you today." He replied "Lady, I cain't neither read nor write." And with that statement he lost his opportunity for permanent employment. The "madam" of the house closed the door, and again he left. Again after he had walked a but a short distance, she called him back. She had in her arm a sack of apples which she gave to him. He went to the corner of the block, and being hungry began to eat one of the apples. A man walked by and said "How much are your apples buddy ?" He replied, and sold an apple. He continued to stand there at that corner and there sold his last apple.
He then walked down to the city market and bought a peck of apples with his earnings, returned near to a downtown corner, there to once more sell all of his apples. Once more he walked to the city market, this time to buy a bushel of apples, and so it went, until one day our 'salesman' had an old pickup truck parked at his downtown corner location, doing business every day. As his business prospered he bought that corner lot, and built a fruit stand. Things were really going his way, his customers loyal, his business good, his product excellent, and one day he was able to build a modern super market size store. His wealth increased yearly, and finally the Saveway Grocery Store chain could no longer ignore him. A representative of the Saveway chain came to him, offered him five million dollars for his land, store and business. Our salesman sold. No need for him to think about it more...he agreed on the spot to sell. The Saveway representative said "I will be here tomorrow with a cashiers check for five million, and the contracts and deeds for you to sign." Then with head bowed in shame, he said; "Fella, I caint neither read nor write so you don't never bother to bring no papers for me to read." The Saveway representative aghast said "You built all of this without the ability to read and write....imagine what you would be today, if you had learned to read and write." With head proudly thrown back, our salesman said "Hell Fella, I know what I would be if'n I could read and write, I'd be a bookkeeper in a whorehouse."
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Changes were last made on 11-20-2001
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