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A PARABLE FOR OUR TIMES
A man
lived by the side of the road and sold hot dogs.
He was
hard of hearing so he had no radio.
He had
trouble with his eyes so he read no newspapers.
But he
sold good hot dogs.
He put
up a sign on the highway telling how good they were.
He
stood by the side of the road and cried: "Buy a hot dog,
Mister."
And
people bought.
He
increased his meat and roll orders.
He
bought a bigger stove to take care of his trade.
He got
his son home from college to help him.
But
then something happened. . .
His
son said, "Father, haven't you been listening to the radio?
If
money stays 'tight' we are bound to have bad business.
There
may be a big depression coming on.
You
had better prepare for poor trade."
Whereupon the father thought, 'Well, my son has gone to
college.
He
reads the papers, and he listens to the radio, and he ought to
know.'
So the
father cut down on his meat and roll orders.
Took
down his advertising signs.
And no
longer bothered to stand on the highway to sell hot dogs.
And
his hot dog sales fell almost overnight.
"You're right, son," the father said to the boy.
"We
are certainly headed for a depression."
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