Post by Deleted on Apr 4, 2020 21:06:08 GMT -5
Back in the 1800's there were two brothers, home from school for the summer, and bored to death. They'd read that boys their age living in the country liked to slip out at night and go cow-tipping for entertainment, but they lived in town, where no one kept cows. Everyone did, however, have an outhouse.
So late one night the boys slipped out of the house and went all over town, knocking over their neighbors' outhouses, stifling their giggles as they went. Coming home well after midnight the boys stopped just inside their front gate.
" You know," said the elder, " come sunup, if our outhouse is the only one standing, everyone is gonna know it was us who done it."
" But if ours is turned over, too," the younger followed his brother's thinking, " we'll just look like one more victim."
So the boys went behind their house, pushed their own outhouse over, then silently slipped back into the house and went to bed.
When they came down for breakfast the next morning they found their father pacing the floor, absolutely fuming. " Boys!" he bellowed. "We're you out last night knocking over people's outhouses?"
"Why, no!" answered the elder. "We' d never do nothin' like that!"
" We was in bed all night!" added the younger.
So their father told them the famous story about George Washington chopping down his father's cherry tree. When he finished the tale the brothers glanced at one another. " You mean," asked the elder, "even though he ' fessed up, his dad didn't whip him or nothin'?"
The younger added, "Yeah, he didn't holler at him? Or cuss at him? Or nothin'?"
"That's right," said their father. "He knew that his son's honesty was far more valuable than the tree could ever be!"
The boys shared another glance. "Well, Dad," the elder spoke up, "Yes, it was us that knocked over all the outhouses."
"Um-hmmm," added the younger.
Whereupon the father instantly yanked off his belt and thrashed both boys to within an inch of their lives!
Moments later, sitting on the couch sniffling and wiping tears from their cheeks, the eldest spoke first. "D,d,dad...we just don't understand. You said George Washington told the truth and his dad didn't whip him, or yell at him, or cuss him, or nothin'."
"Yeah," spoke the younger. "But we told the truth and you near 'bout kilt us!"
Their father's voice softened only slightly when he said, "Well you see, boys, the difference is that George Washington's father was not IN the cherry tree when he chopped it down!"
So late one night the boys slipped out of the house and went all over town, knocking over their neighbors' outhouses, stifling their giggles as they went. Coming home well after midnight the boys stopped just inside their front gate.
" You know," said the elder, " come sunup, if our outhouse is the only one standing, everyone is gonna know it was us who done it."
" But if ours is turned over, too," the younger followed his brother's thinking, " we'll just look like one more victim."
So the boys went behind their house, pushed their own outhouse over, then silently slipped back into the house and went to bed.
When they came down for breakfast the next morning they found their father pacing the floor, absolutely fuming. " Boys!" he bellowed. "We're you out last night knocking over people's outhouses?"
"Why, no!" answered the elder. "We' d never do nothin' like that!"
" We was in bed all night!" added the younger.
So their father told them the famous story about George Washington chopping down his father's cherry tree. When he finished the tale the brothers glanced at one another. " You mean," asked the elder, "even though he ' fessed up, his dad didn't whip him or nothin'?"
The younger added, "Yeah, he didn't holler at him? Or cuss at him? Or nothin'?"
"That's right," said their father. "He knew that his son's honesty was far more valuable than the tree could ever be!"
The boys shared another glance. "Well, Dad," the elder spoke up, "Yes, it was us that knocked over all the outhouses."
"Um-hmmm," added the younger.
Whereupon the father instantly yanked off his belt and thrashed both boys to within an inch of their lives!
Moments later, sitting on the couch sniffling and wiping tears from their cheeks, the eldest spoke first. "D,d,dad...we just don't understand. You said George Washington told the truth and his dad didn't whip him, or yell at him, or cuss him, or nothin'."
"Yeah," spoke the younger. "But we told the truth and you near 'bout kilt us!"
Their father's voice softened only slightly when he said, "Well you see, boys, the difference is that George Washington's father was not IN the cherry tree when he chopped it down!"