The
Bronze Rat
A
tourist walked into a curio shop in San Francisco.
Looking around at the exotica, he noticed a
very lifelike, life-sized bronze statue of a
rat. It had no price tag, but it was so striking
he decided he must have it.
He
took it to the counter. "How much for the bronze
rat?"
"Twelve
dollars for the rat, one hundred dollars for
the story," the owner said.
The
tourist gave the shop owner twelve dollars.
"I'll take the rat. You can keep the story."
As
he walked down the street carrying the rat,
he soon noticed that a few real rats had crawled
out of the alleys and sewers and began following
him. This was disconcerting, so he began walking
faster. But within a couple of blocks, the herd
of rats behind him had grown to hundreds,and
they began squealing. He began to trot toward
the Bay, but looking back he saw that the rats
now numbered in the millions, were squealing
ever louder, and coming toward him faster and
faster. Now scared, he broke into a run, then
a full Olympic sprint to the edge of the Bay
where he threw the bronze rat as far out as
he could muster.
Amazingly,
the millions of rats all jumped into the Bay
after the bronze rat, and they all drowned.
The
man walked back to the curio shop.
"Aha!"
said the owner. "You have come back for the
story."
"No,"
said the man, "I came back to see if you have
a bronze REPUBLICAN AND ONE OF THEIR AMERICAN
TALIBAN SUPPORTERS!"