SUNDAY SILLINESS...

BIBLE SALESMEN

 A pastor concluded that his church was getting into very serious financial troubles. While checking the church storeroom, he discovered several cartons of new Bibles that had
 never been opened and distributed.

 So at his Sunday sermon, he asked for three volunteers from the congregation who would be willing to sell them door-to-door for $10 each to raise the desperately needed
money for the church.

 Jack, Paul, and Louie all raised their hands to volunteer for the task.

 The minister knew that Jack and Paul earned their living as salesmen and were likely capable of selling some Bibles. But he had serious doubts about Louie who was a
 local farmer, who had always kept to himself because he was
 embarrassed by his speech impediment. Poor Louis stuttered badly. But,
 not wanting to discourage Louis, the minister decided to let him try
 anyway.

 He sent the three of them away with the back seat of their cars stacked with Bibles. He asked them to meet with him and report the results of their door-to-door selling efforts
the following Sunday.


 Anxious to find out how successful they were, the minister immediately asked Jack, "Well, Jack, how did you make out selling our Bibles last week?"

 Proudly handing the reverend an envelope, Jack replied, "Using my sales prowess, I was able to sell 20 Bibles, and here's the $200 I collected on behalf of the church."

"Fine job, Jack!" The minister said, vigorously shaking his hand. "You are indeed a fine
 salesman and the Church is indebted to you."

Turning to Paul, "And Paul, how many Bibles did you sell for the Church last week?"


 Paul, smiling and sticking out his chest, confidently replied, "I am a professional salesman. I sold 28 Bibles on behalf of the church, and here's $280 I collected."

 The minister responded, "That's absolutely splendid, Paul. You are truly a professional
 salesman and the church is indebted to you."

 Apprehensively, the minister turned to Louie and said, "And Louie, did you manage to sell any Bibles last week?" Louie silently offered the minister a large envelope.

 The minister opened it and counted the contents. "What is this?" the minister exclaimed. "Louie, there's $3,200 in here! Are you suggesting that you sold 320 bibles for the
 church, door to door, in just one week?" Louie just nodded.


 "That's impossible!" both Jack and Paul said in unison. "We are professional salesmen, yet you claim to have sold 10 times as many Bibles as we could."

 "Yes, this does seem unlikely," the minister! agreed. "Would you explain how you managed to accomplish this, Louie."

 Louie shrugged. "I-I-I re-re-really do-do-don't kn-kn-know
 f-f-f-for sh-sh-sh-sure," he stammered.

Impatiently, Peter interrupted. "For crying out loud, Louie, just tell us what you said to them when they answered the door!"

 "A-a-a-all I-I-I s-s-said wa-wa-was," Louis replied,
"W-w-w-w-would y-y-y-you l-l-l-l-l-like t-t-to b-b-b-buy
 th-th-th-this B-B-Bible f-f-for t-t-ten b-b-b-bucks o-o-o-or---
 w-w-would y-you j-j-j-just l-like m-m-me t-to st-st-stand
 h-h-here and r-r-r-r-r-read it t-to y-y-you??"

 Remember when the funniest jokes were the clean ones?

 They still are!