THE ESSENCE OF CHUTZPAH...
A little old lady sold pretzels on a street corner for 25 cents each. Every day a young man would leave his office building at lunch time, and as he passed the pretzel stand, he would leave her a quarter, but never take a pretzel.
And this went on for more then 3 years. The two of them never spoke. One day, as the young man passed the old lady's stand and left his quarter as usual, the pretzel lady spoke to him.
Without blinking an eye she said:
"They're 35 cents now."
Don't blame me. Blame Doug.
Similar story:
ReplyDeleteA very wealthy merchant and pillar of his village used to go to the town market every week, and every week he would go to the village's beggar and give him two whole kopeks. Charity is a mitzvah, after all!
Things took a downturn, as they do in business, but the merchant sought out his friend the beggar as always and gave him one kopek.
"Friend Merchant," said the beggar, "Every week you give me two kopeks, this week you gave me only one."
"Business has been bad this week, my friend," said the merchant.
The beggar retorted, "So you had a bad week, I should suffer?!"
Hah! Love that!!!
ReplyDeleteBoth stories are great.
ReplyDeleteGreat tales! Remind me a bit of the Workers in the Vineyard, too!
ReplyDeleteThen there is the keltic version. A young Irish lad is convicted of murder having shot his parents in a drunken brawl. He asked the court for a reduced sentence saying, "Judge please remember I am an orphan!"
ReplyDeleteFWIW
jimB
Sweet ;=)
ReplyDeleteThe Irish must have borrowed the "but I'm an orphan" story from the Jews (or vice versa). It appears in Leo Rosen's book "The Joys of Yiddish."
ReplyDeleteWhen many different versions of a story or joke abound, it seems to me that a kernel of truth lies at the center of the story.
ReplyDeleteChutzpah is a gift! Thanks for the story, and the laugh!
ReplyDelete