Herbert Hoover

During the Depression, President Hoover initiated a number of major recovery programmes, which however didn’t have the desired effect. The critics were loud and  the President confided his disappointments with the former President Coolidge.
“You can’t expect to see calves running in the field,” observed Coolidge, “the day after you put the bulls to the cows.”
“No,” replied Hoover, “but I would expect to see contended cows.”
compiler:benny

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A Hereafter Story

A Hereafter Story ©
Between 6 o’ clock and 7 o’clock yesterday the sky was unusual. Across the autumnal evening sky some strange lights became very vivid. It was unusual.  There were three short bursts of light slowly merging into a ball of light. The green light went bobbing as though the sky was a swell about to break. A dirt farmer from Tuscaloosa saw it. So did two from Lagos and another from Chengdu. They called all whom they could alert. Of course today’s papers were all splashed with sighting of a UFO.
It was nothing of that sort.
Let me explain what really happened.
Out in space the spiritual form of a child floated as though it was tired. Another form swam out of curiosity I suppose, towards the child and asked, ”What is the trouble, child?’
The tiny form of spirit replied, ”I was terminated before time. My mother was an unwed mother. She underwent MTP. Economic reasons.”
“That was long ago, wasn’t it?” the other asked incredulously, ”You must be having so much energy still left unutilized. Can’t you use that for your onward journey?”
“I could have,” sobbed the child,”but I used it all to take care of my mother. My energy has now made her a household name. The chain of boutiques selling cosmetics is a rage among the super rich”.
The older form tut-tutted, ”You poor thing.” The form swallowed hard and said,” To expect you to use judgment would be unreasonable. You wouldn’t have even seen the light of day or known ways of the world.”
The baby was growing wizened and old even though it was in its spiritual body. At that moment there came the third flash of light. The second figure hailed and asked it to stop. It did. The second spiritual form asked, “What were you formerly?”
” I was rich beyond belief,” replied the newcomer.
“Did anything interesting happen down there?”
“Oh I had a man named Lazarus living at my door steps. Dogs were the only companions he had got. You know what,- they liked him so much they cleaned his sores.”
The second figure asked if he could spare his energy reserves.
The ghost of the rich dives sighed and said,”Sorry, I never spent anything in my human life but collected riches by way of rent. I have so much energy left but I have to pass on to Lazarus whom I neglected so callously.”
“Did you come to that decision yourself?”
“No,” cried the third,” Archangel Uriel who takes custody of dead souls decided. He has with one order left me high and dry. He sighed couple of times and the sounds were as luguborous as the creaking of gates of Gehenna.
“Who are you?” asked the spirit that was once so rich.
“ I am Lazarus, your neighbor.” That zapped the  ghost and he reeled a couple of times as his reserves of energy squirted out towards  Lazarus. With a blood curdling screech he became as tiny as a mite. Lazarus on the other hand was filling out to the full. Lazarus reached out and touched the spiritual form of the baby and said,” I have enough to keep going,- and here, make use of my gift”.

The baby became invigorated as a result. He bade farewell and with great joy swam out of view. The mite asked his former neighbor, ”Lazarus can I hitch a ride with you?”
“I don’t mind. Can you hold on tight?”
Lazarus flew off feeling great that for once he could grant wishes of others.
benny

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