>
>
>
> 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 the Bibles
> 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, "Th at'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 $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 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," said the minister who didn't want
> to appear to be a greed. "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-like 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??"
>