STOCK MARKET WATCH -- Tuesday, 29 May 2012

[Po_d Mainiac]

37. heavy metal

A man in a Chinese curio shop in San Francisco found a lifelike bronze statue of a rat. It had no price tag. "How much for the bronze rat?" he asked.

"You choose wisely!" came the reply. "It is $12 for the rat and $100 for the story.

The tourist pulled out twelve dollars. "I'll take the rat. You can keep the story."

As he walked with his statue, the tourist saw real rats emerging from alleys and sewers. They were following him. He walked faster.

A couple blocks later he looked behind. The herd of rats was now hundreds, and they were squealing.

Sweating, the tourist trotted toward San Francisco Bay.

Again, after a couple blocks, he looked back only to see MILLIONS or rats approaching faster and faster.

The terrified man ran to the edge of the Bay and threw the bronze rat as far as he could into the water.

Amazingly, the millions of rats followed, and drowned.

The man returned to the curio shop.

"Ahhh," said the owner, "You come back for story?"

"No sir," said the man. "I came back to see if you have a bronze Republican."