The Tale of the Bronze Rat

A tourist walked into a Chinese curio shop in San Francisco . While
looking around at the exotic merchandise, he noticed a very
lifelike, life-sized, bronze statue of a rat. It had no price tag,
but was so incredibly striking the tourist decided he must have it.
He took it to the old shop owner and asked, "How much for the
bronze rat ?"


"Ahhh, you have chosen wisely! It is $12 for the rat and $100 for
the story," said the wise old China-man.


The tourist quickly pulled out twelve dollars. "I'll just take the
rat, you can keep the story".


As he walked down the street carrying his bronze rat, the tourist
noticed that a few real rats had crawled out of the alleys and
sewers and had begun following him down the street. This was a bit
disconcerting so he began walking faster.


A couple blocks later he looked behind him and saw to his horror
the herd of rats behind him had grown to hundreds, and they began
squealing.


Sweating now, the tourist began to trot toward San Francisco Bay.


Again, after a couple blocks, he looked around only to discover
that the rats now numbered in the MILLIONS, and were squealing and
coming toward him faster and faster.


Terrified, he ran to the edge of the Bay and threw the bronze rat
as far as he could into the Bay.


Amazingly, the millions of rats all jumped into the Bay after the
bronze rat and were all drowned.


The man walked back to the curio shop in Chinatown .


"Ahhh," said the owner, "You come back for story ?"


"No sir," said the man, "I came back to see if you have a Bronze
Republican?