An old prospector shuffled into the town of El Indio,
Texas leading a tired old mule. The old man headed straight
for the only saloon in town, to clear his parched throat.
He walked up to the saloon and tied his old mule to the hitch rail.
As he stood there, brushing some of the dust from his face and
clothes, a young gunslinger stepped out of the saloon with a gun in one
hand and a bottle of whiskey in the other.
The young gunslinger looked at the old man and laughed, saying, "Hey old man, can you
dance?"
The old man looked up at the gunslinger and said, "No son, I don't dance... never really wanted to"
A crowd had gathered as the gunslinger grinned and said, "Well, you old fool, you're gonna dance
now!" and started shooting at the old man's feet.
The old prospector, not wanting to get a toe blown off, started hopping around
like a flea on a hot skillet. Everybody standing around was laughing.
When his last bullet had been fired, the young gunslinger, still laughing, holstered his gun and
turned around to go back into the saloon.
The old man turned to his pack mule, pulled out a double-barreled 12 gauge shotgun and
cocked both hammers.
The loud clicks carried clearly through the desert air. The crowd stopped laughing immediately.
The young gunslinger heard the sounds too, and he turned around very slowly.
The silence was deafening. The crowd watched as the young gunman stared at the old timer and
the large gaping holes of those twin 12 gauge barrels.
The barrels of the shotgun never wavered in the old
man's hands, as he quietly said; "Son, have you ever kissed a
mule's ass?" The gunslinger swallowed hard and said, "No sir...
but.... I've always wanted to"
There are a few lessons for all of us here:
*Don't be arrogant.
*Don't waste ammunition.
*Whiskey makes you think you're smarter than you are.
*Always make sure you know who is in control...
*And finally, Don't screw around with old folks; they didn't get old by being stupid....
I just love a story with a happy ending, don't you?
