shoOOonya
10th February 2006, 06:35 PM
The minister realized his Church was getting into serious financial
trouble. While checking the Church storeroom, he discovered several
cartons of new Bibles that had never been opened and distributed.
So at his Sunday sermon, he asked for three volunteers from the
congregation who would be willing to sell the Bibles door-to-door for
$10 each to raise the desperately needed money for the Church.
Peter, Paul and Louis all raised their hands to volunteer for the task.
The minister knew that Peter and Paul earned their living as salesmen
and were likely capable of selling some Bibles. But he had serious
doubts about Louis who was a local farmer, who had always kept to
himself because he was embarrassed by his speech impediment. Poor
Louis stuttered badly.
But, not wanting to discourage Louis, the minister decided to let him
try anyway. He sent the three of them away with the back seat of their
cars stacked with Bibles. He asked them to meet with him and report
the results of their door-to-door selling efforts the following
Sunday.
Anxious to find out how successful they were, the minister immediately
asked
"Well, Peter, how did you make out selling our Bibles last week?"
Proudly handing the reverend an envelope, Peter replied, "Using my
sales prowess, I was able to sell 20 Bibles, and here's the $200 I
collected on behalf of the Church." "Fine job, Peter!" The minister
said, vigorously shaking his hand. "You are indeed a fine salesman and
the Church is indebted to you."
Turning to Paul, "And Paul, how many bibles did you sell for the
Church last week?"
Paul, smiling and sticking out his chest, confidently replied, "I am
a professional salesman. I sold 28 Bibles on behalf of the Church, and
here is the $280 I collected." The minister responded, "That's
absolutely splendid, Paul. You are truly a professional salesman and
the Church is also indebted to you."
Apprehensively, the minister turned to Louis and said,
"And Louis, did you manage to sell any Bibles last week?"
Louis silently offered the minister a large envelope. The reverend
opened it and counted the contents.
"What is this?" the minister exclaimed. "Louis, there's $3200 in here!
Are you suggesting that you sold 320 Bibles for the Church, door to
door, in just one week?
Louis just nodded.
"That's impossible!" both Peter and Paul said in unison. "We are
professional salesmen, yet you claim to have sold 10 times as many
Bibles as we could."
"Yes, this does seem unlikely," the minister agreed. "I think you
better explain how you managed to accomplish this, Louis."
Louis shrugged. "I-I-I re-re-really do-do-don't kn-kn-know f-f-f-for
sh-sh-sh-sure," he stammered.
Impatiently, Peter interrupted. "For crying out loud, Louis, just
tell us what you said to them when they answered the door!"
"A-a-a-all I-I-I s-s-said wa-wa-was," Louis replied,
"W-w-w-w-would
y-y-y-you l-l-l-like t-t-to b-b-b-buy
th-th-th-this
B-B-B-B-Bible f-f-for
t-t-ten b-b-b-bucks or wo-wo-would yo-you
j-j-just
l-like m-m-me
t-t-to st-st-stand h-h-here and r-r-r-r-r-read
it
t-to y-y-you?"
trouble. While checking the Church storeroom, he discovered several
cartons of new Bibles that had never been opened and distributed.
So at his Sunday sermon, he asked for three volunteers from the
congregation who would be willing to sell the Bibles door-to-door for
$10 each to raise the desperately needed money for the Church.
Peter, Paul and Louis all raised their hands to volunteer for the task.
The minister knew that Peter and Paul earned their living as salesmen
and were likely capable of selling some Bibles. But he had serious
doubts about Louis who was a local farmer, who had always kept to
himself because he was embarrassed by his speech impediment. Poor
Louis stuttered badly.
But, not wanting to discourage Louis, the minister decided to let him
try anyway. He sent the three of them away with the back seat of their
cars stacked with Bibles. He asked them to meet with him and report
the results of their door-to-door selling efforts the following
Sunday.
Anxious to find out how successful they were, the minister immediately
asked
"Well, Peter, how did you make out selling our Bibles last week?"
Proudly handing the reverend an envelope, Peter replied, "Using my
sales prowess, I was able to sell 20 Bibles, and here's the $200 I
collected on behalf of the Church." "Fine job, Peter!" The minister
said, vigorously shaking his hand. "You are indeed a fine salesman and
the Church is indebted to you."
Turning to Paul, "And Paul, how many bibles did you sell for the
Church last week?"
Paul, smiling and sticking out his chest, confidently replied, "I am
a professional salesman. I sold 28 Bibles on behalf of the Church, and
here is the $280 I collected." The minister responded, "That's
absolutely splendid, Paul. You are truly a professional salesman and
the Church is also indebted to you."
Apprehensively, the minister turned to Louis and said,
"And Louis, did you manage to sell any Bibles last week?"
Louis silently offered the minister a large envelope. The reverend
opened it and counted the contents.
"What is this?" the minister exclaimed. "Louis, there's $3200 in here!
Are you suggesting that you sold 320 Bibles for the Church, door to
door, in just one week?
Louis just nodded.
"That's impossible!" both Peter and Paul said in unison. "We are
professional salesmen, yet you claim to have sold 10 times as many
Bibles as we could."
"Yes, this does seem unlikely," the minister agreed. "I think you
better explain how you managed to accomplish this, Louis."
Louis shrugged. "I-I-I re-re-really do-do-don't kn-kn-know f-f-f-for
sh-sh-sh-sure," he stammered.
Impatiently, Peter interrupted. "For crying out loud, Louis, just
tell us what you said to them when they answered the door!"
"A-a-a-all I-I-I s-s-said wa-wa-was," Louis replied,
"W-w-w-w-would
y-y-y-you l-l-l-like t-t-to b-b-b-buy
th-th-th-this
B-B-B-B-Bible f-f-for
t-t-ten b-b-b-bucks or wo-wo-would yo-you
j-j-just
l-like m-m-me
t-t-to st-st-stand h-h-here and r-r-r-r-r-read
it
t-to y-y-you?"