A minister concluded that his church was getting into serious financial
troubles.
Coincidentally, by chance, 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 Louie 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 Louie. Louie was just a little local farmer, who
had always tended to keep to himself because he was embarrassed by his
speech impediment. Poor little Louis stuttered very badly. But, not
wanting to discourage poor 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 and 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 Peter, "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, he asked "And Paul, how many bibles did you manage to
sell for the church last week?"
Paul, smiling and sticking out his chest, confidently replied,"
I am a professional salesman and was happy to give the church the
benefit of my sales expertise. Last week I sold 28 bibles on behalf of
the church, and here's $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 little Louie and said, "And
Louie, did you manage to sell any bibles last week?"
Louie silently offered the minister a large envelope. The reverend
opened it and counted the contents. "What is this?" the minister
exclaimed. "Louie, there's $3200 in here! Are you suggesting that you
sold 320 bibles for the church, door to door, in just one week?
Louie 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'd
better explain how you managed to accomplish this, Louie."
Louie 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, Louie,
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-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 ---o-o-o-or--- wo-wo-would yo-you j-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?"
troubles.
Coincidentally, by chance, 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 Louie 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 Louie. Louie was just a little local farmer, who
had always tended to keep to himself because he was embarrassed by his
speech impediment. Poor little Louis stuttered very badly. But, not
wanting to discourage poor 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 and 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 Peter, "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, he asked "And Paul, how many bibles did you manage to
sell for the church last week?"
Paul, smiling and sticking out his chest, confidently replied,"
I am a professional salesman and was happy to give the church the
benefit of my sales expertise. Last week I sold 28 bibles on behalf of
the church, and here's $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 little Louie and said, "And
Louie, did you manage to sell any bibles last week?"
Louie silently offered the minister a large envelope. The reverend
opened it and counted the contents. "What is this?" the minister
exclaimed. "Louie, there's $3200 in here! Are you suggesting that you
sold 320 bibles for the church, door to door, in just one week?
Louie 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'd
better explain how you managed to accomplish this, Louie."
Louie 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, Louie,
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-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 ---o-o-o-or--- wo-wo-would yo-you j-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?"
