Gettin' the Mule's Attention
A long time ago a farmer wanted to buy a mule from his neighbor. He asked the neighbor if the mule had any problems.
"Not a problem," the neighbor said. "This mule will do anything you ask. All you have to do is ask him nicely." The neighbor added, "Just make sure you never mistreat my mule."
The price for the mule was fair, so the farmer bought the mule. The very next day the farmer wanted to plow his field. He hitched the mule to the plow. The mule had no intention of pulling that plow!
The farmer said, "Git up!" But the mule paid no attention. The farmer tried talking nicely until his face almost turned blue. It did no good. So, he called his neighbor over.
The neighbor came right away. When he heard the problem, he walked over and picked up a two-by-four. He hit the mule right in the head. Then he whispered in the mule's ear. That mule started plowing back and forth the field, turning the soil over without anyone standing behind the plow.
"I thought you said never to mistreat your mule," stated the farmer. "You said all that I had to do was to talk nicely to him."
"Well," answered the neighbor. "You just have to get his attention first before talking to him."
Dr. Mike Lockett is an educator, storyteller and children's author from Normal, IL. Dr. Lockett has given more than 3000 programs across the USA and as far away as eastern Asia. Contact Mike by writing to Mike@mikelockett.com in order to book him for a storytelling program or young authors program or to inquire about purchasing his books and CDs. More stories and information about storytelling can be found at www.mikelockett.com