The Master Teacher

Well, I'm back from a one-week vacation at Hilton Head Island in South Georgia. Joyce and I had a great time in spite of a little rain. Still, it's good to get back to this blog in which it is my pleasre to provide samples from past writings. You are also encouraged to click on the links to find some of my efforts in the area of short stories. The poem which follows comes from an old story of unknown origin. As a teacher, this story was always a favorite of mine, and I thought it would be neat to present it as a poem.

The Three Thieves

Three thieves were found guilty by the king,
And each was sentenced to die by evening.
Gut in a classic example of elocution,
One thief was able to stay his execution

“Good King, if you will spare me right here,
I will teach this donkey to talk in one year.”
The other thieves laughed, and thought him insane,
But he knew four things to ease his pain.

First, he reminded them that they would not survive.
While he, at least for the present, would be alive.
Secondly, the donkey may drop dead from the strain,
And he would be given another year to retrain.

A third possibility is that the King may cease to be.
Whereupon, the prisoners are often set free.
And finally, just to put an end to your squawk,
I just might teach that damn donkey to talk!