One night a stranger walked into Murphy's and had a seat at the bar.
"I'm Frank Sloane," he introduced himself to Mike, the barkeep, "and I'll have a Sam Adams."
Mike poured him a tall one and Frank made himself at home.
About a half hour later, Frank pulled a small, stuffed teddy bear out of his jacket pocket and set the bear on the bar.
"What's that?" Asked Nick, who, up until then, had been talking to Frank about various ladies' promentary attributes.
"It's a bear," replied Frank with a smile. "And it's the fastest bear there is."
"Aw, it is not!" Exclaimed Nick. "It's a stuffed animal! Even Rob's turtle could beat that bear. Come're Rob!" Nick waved him over. "Show Frank the new guy here your world champion racing turtle!"
Rob happily complied and showed Frank his prize winning turtle, even flashing a few of Yerkle's ribbons.
"That's a nice turtle," Frank admitted, "but my bear is faster."
"IS NOT!" Roared Rob, "and I'll bet you twenty dollars my turtle can beat your bear!"
"Yer on!" Frank said, pulling out a stack of twenties. "And I'll bet any other taker that my bear can beat that turtle."
Well, then a crowd formed around the bar, the men bending to peer at the stuffed bear, grinning, then slapping a twenty on the bar. They all bet against Frank, that is, everone but Mike.
Mike set up a line of lettuce for the finish, about three feet from the start.
Clint started the timer, Rob released the turtle and they were off. The bear sat there, unmoving, glass eyes staring into nothingness. The turtle slowly began to crawl across the bar. The men cheered as the turtle caught wind of the lettuce and crawled faster. They were able to keep up their cheering for the next ten minutes as the turtle slowly moved closer to the finish line.
Then, just as the turtle was an inch away from crossing the line....
*****POOF*****
The bear disappeared from its spot on the bar and
reappeared on the other side of the finish line!The men hooted, they cat-called, they protested, but they paid up. Just as the crowd was dispersing, Nick turned to Mike.
"Hey, Mike, why didn't you bet on the turtle? What'd you know that we didn't?"
Mike polished a glass and smiled.
"Why, it was easy. Everyone knows that Sloane's teddy wins the race."
~~~~~~~~~~
With a prize to the person who knows where I got that,
AnnieLee