Once
upon a time there 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...
