The Bronze Rat
A Tourist walked into a Chinese curio shop in San Francisco . While
looking around at the exotic merchandise, he noticed a very lifelike,
life-sized, bronze statue of a rat. It had no price tag, but was so
incredibly striking the tourist decided he must have it. He took it to the
old shop owner and asked, "How much for the bronze rat?"
"Ahhh, you have chosen wisely! It is $12 for the rat, $100 for the story,"
said the wise old China man.
The tourist quickly pulled out twelve dollars. "I'll just take the rat, you
can keep the story."
As he walked down the street carrying his bronze rat, the tourist noticed
that a few real rats had crawled out of the alleys and sewers and had begun
following him down the street. This was a bit disconcerting so he began
walking faster.
A couple blocks later he looked behind him and saw to his horror the herd of
rats behind him had grown to hundreds, and they began squealing.
Sweating now, the tourist began to trot toward the Bay.
Again, after a couple blocks, he looked around only to discover that the
rats now numbered in the MILLIONS, and were squealing and coming toward him
faster and faster.
Terrified, he ran to the edge of the Bay and threw the bronze rat as far as
he could into the Bay.
Amazingly, the millions of rats all jumped into the Bay after the bronze
rat, and were all drowned.
The man walked back to the curio shop in Chinatown .
"Ahhh," said the owner, "You have come back for story?"
"No sir," said the man,
"I came back to see if you have a
Bronze Democrat."
