There once was a
king who wanted to go fishing.
He called the royal
weather forecaster and inquired 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. And 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 professional. 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
thus began the practice of hiring dumb asses to work in the government and
occupy its highest and most influential positions.
And the practice is
unbroken to this date...
