[reelapeelin]

>>> > The Bronze Rat
>>> >
>>> > A
>>> > tourist walked into a Chinese curio shop in S-F.
>>> > 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 that the tourist decided he must
>>> > have it. He
>>> > took it to the old shop owner and asked, "How
>>> > much for the bronze
>>> > rat?"
>>> >
>>> > "Ah, you have
>>> > chosen wisely! It
>>> > is $12 for the rat & $100 for the story,"
>>> > said the wise old
>>> > Chinaman. The tourist quickly pulled out twelve
>>> > dollars.
>>> > "I'll take just 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 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 had began squealing. Sweating now, the
>>> > tourist began to
>>> > trot toward S-F 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 & faster.
>>> >
>>> > Terrified, he ran to
>>> > the edge of the bay
>>> > and threw the bronze rat as far as he could into the
>>> > water.
>>> > Amazingly, the millions of rats all jumped into
>>> >
>>> >
>>> > S-F
>>> > Bay
>>> > after the bronze rat, and all were drowned.
>>> >
>>> >
>>> >
>>> > The man walked back to the curio shop in Chinatown.
>>> >
>>> > "Ah," said
>>> > the owner.
>>> > "You have returned for story?"
>>> >
>>> > "No, Sir,"
>>> > said the man.
>>> > "I came back to see if you have a bronze
>>> > Politician."
>>> >
>>> >