BIBLE SALESMEN

 

 A minister concluded his church was in 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 the bibles door-to-door for $10 each to raise the

desperately needed money for the church.

 

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

The reverend knew Peter and Paul earned their living as salesmen and were

capable of selling some bibles, but he had serious doubts about Louie.

Louie was a local farmer, who always tended to keep to himself because he was

embarrassed by his speech impediment.

 

 Poor Louie stuttered very badly. But, not wanting to discourage Louie, the

reverend decided to let him try anyway. He sent the three of them

away with the back seat of their cars stacked with bibles and asked them

to meet with him and report the results of their door-to-door selling efforts

the following Sunday, which they did.

 

Eager to find out how successful they were, the reverend immediately asked

Peter, "Well, Peter, how did you make out selling our bibles last week?"

Proudly handing the reverend an envelope, Peter replied, "Father, 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, Peter!" the reverend said, vigorously shaking his hand. "You

are indeed a fine salesman and the Church is indebted to you."

Turning to Paul, he asked, "and Paul, how many bibles did you manage to sell

for the church last week?"

 

Paul, smiling and sticking out his chest, confidently replied, "Reverend,

 I am a professional salesman and was happy to give the church the benefit

Of my sales expertise. Last week I sold 28 bibles on behalf of the church, and

here's $280 I collected."

 

The reverend responded, "That's absolutely splendid, Paul. You are truly a

professional salesman and the church is also indebted to you."

Apprehensively, the reverend turned to Louie and said, "and Louie, did you

manage to sell any bibles last week?" Louie silently offered the reverend a

large envelope. The reverend opened it and counted the contents.

 

"What is this?" the reverend exclaimed. "Louie, there's $3200 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 Peter 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 reverend agreed. "I think you'd better

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- ike t-t-to b-b-b-buy th-th-th-this b-b-b-b-bible

f-f-for t-t-ten b-b-b-bucks ---o-o-o-or--- wo-wo-would yo-you j-j-j-just

l-like m-m-me t-t-to st-st-stand h-h-here and r-r-r-r-r-read it t-to

y-y-you?"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 .

 

 

  -------Original Message------- :Subject: Bible Salesmen A minister concluded his church was in serious financial troubles.While checking the church storeroom, he discovered several cartons ofnew bibles that had never been opened and distributed. So, at his Sundaysermon, he askedfor three volunteers from the congregation who would be willing to sell thebibles door-to-door for $10 each to raise the desperately needed money forthechurch. Peter, Paul and Louie all raised their hands to volunteer for the task. The reverend knew Peter and Paul earned their living as salesmen and werecapable of selling some bibles, but he had serious doubts about Louie.Louiewasa local farmer, who always tended to keep to himself because he wasembarrassed by his speech impediment. Poor Louie stuttered very badly. But, not wanting to discourage Louie, thereverend decided to let him try anyway. He sent the three of themaway with the back seat of their cars stacked with bibles and asked themto meetwith himand report the results of their door-to-door selling efforts the followingSunday, which they did. Eager to find out how successful they were, the reverend immediately askedPeter, "Well, Peter, how did you make out selling our bibles last week?" Proudly handing the reverend an envelope, Peter replied, "Father, usingmy sales prowess, I was able to sell 20 bibles, and here's the $200 Icollectedonbehalf of the church." "Fine job, Peter!" the reverend said, vigorously shaking his hand. "Youare indeed a fine salesman and the Church is indebted to you."Turning to Paul, he asked, "and Paul, how many bibles did you manage to sell for the church last week?" Paul, smiling and sticking out his chest, confidently replied, "Reverend,I am a professional salesman and was happy to give the church the benefitofmy sales expertise. Last week I sold 28 bibles on behalf of the church, and here's $280 I collected." The reverend responded, "That's absolutely splendid, Paul. You are truly a professional salesman and the church is also indebted to you." Apprehensively, the reverend turned to Louie and said, "and Louie, did youmanage to sell any bibles last week?" Louie silently offered the reverend a large envelope. The reverend opened it and counted the contents. "What is this?" the reverend exclaimed. "Louie, there's $3200 in here! Areyou suggesting that you sold 320 bibles for the church, door to door, injustone week?" Louie just nodded. That's impossible!" both Peter and Paul said in unison. "We areprofessional salesmen, yet you claim to have sold 10 times as many biblesas wecould." "Yes, this does seem unlikely," the reverend agreed. "I think you'd betterexplain 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-forsh-sh-sh-sure," he stammered. Impatiently, Peter interrupted. "For crying out loud, Louie, just tell uswhat 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-wouldy-y-y-you l-l-l-l-l- ike t-t-to b-b-b-buy th-th-th-this b-b-b-b-biblef-f-fort-t-ten b-b-b-bucks ---o-o-o-or--- wo-wo-would yo-you j-j-j-justl-likem-m-me t-t-to st-st-stand h-h-here and r-r-r-r-r-read it t-toy-y-you?"   .