5/10/13
Once upon a time there was a man named Mister A. He had been working downtown on business all morning, and around noon he found himself on the sidewalk thinking it was time to look for some lunch.
As he stood there he smelled the tantalizing aroma of something delicious. Looking around he saw a sign which read “Restaurant” and figured it must be coming from there. Going closer he noticed some tables on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant, so he sat down at one that was open. A moment later a waiter came over and handed him a menu. He read down the list of dishes until he found one he wanted and gave his order.
The waiter then replied, “I’m sorry sir. But we don’t have any food. We’ve run out. There’s nothing available at all.” Mister A asked with astonishment, “No food?! Then why are you open?” “We have to stay in business, don’t we?” answered the waiter turning away. Mister A was dumbfounded.
Another man, Mister B, passed by on the sidewalk eating something wrapped in paper. What he was eating couldn’t be seen, but he was clearly enjoying it. Mister A called out to him, “Excuse me. But where did you get that?” Mister B responded, “From that little push-cart over there in the park.”
Mister A got up from his table, left the restaurant, and crossed the street to the park. Approaching the push-cart he realized this is where the great smell had been coming from that he’d noticed earlier. He didn’t know what the thing was being sold; he had never seen anything like it before. But it looked great, so he ordered one. The taste was even better than the smell. Mmmm! It was heavenly. This was the best thing he had ever eaten in his life. First he’d shove large bites in his mouth, then he’d sigh with delight as he savored each mouthful. After he had finished he was quite satisfied. He knew he’d be back again frequently.
As he reached for his wallet to pay, he noticed the vendor was busy serving another customer. So he quickly left the park and ran back across the street to the restaurant. He sat down again at the table he’d been at before, then the waiter came out. Mister A took some money from his wallet and handed it to the waiter, saying, “I’d like to pay for the delicious meal I just had.” The waiter accepted it, said, “Certainly, sir;” then disappeared back inside.
Mister B, who had finished his own lunch by now and was just resting on a nearby bench, witnessed all that Mister A had done. Feeling mystified he couldn’t help but ask about it. “Pardon me, sir,” he said addressing Mister A; “but why did you pay the restaurant for what you got from the push-cart?”
Mister A said matter-of-factly, “Well, I prefer to pay at a real restaurant. This business has been here a long time, while that push-cart is new. It’s my custom to patronize traditional restaurants rather than unknowns & upstarts.”
Mister B replied with astonishment, “But shouldn’t you be supporting the one who actually fed you?!”
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