Financial Difficulties

[squiffy2]

The pastor of the church was getting into 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 minister knew that Peter 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 Peter, "Well, Peter, how did you make out selling
our bibles last week?"

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

"Fine job, Peter!" 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 also
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
Reverend 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 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 minister 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-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
q-q-q-q-quid ---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?"