Fun_People Archive
19 May
The Way It Was?

Date: Thu, 19 May 94 14:29:07 PDT
To: Fun_People
Subject: The Way It Was?

Forwarded-by: cate3@netcom.com (Henry Cate)

One day an old jewish Pole, living in Warsaw, has his last light bulb
burn out.  To get a new one he'll have to stand in line for two hours
at the store (and they'll probably be out by the time he gets there),
so he goes up to his attic and starts rummaging around for an old oil
lamp he vaguely remembers seeing.

He finds the old brass lamp in the bottom of a trunk that has seen
better days.  He starts to polish it and (poof!) a genie appears in
cloud of smoke.

"Hoho, Mortal!" says the genie, stretching and yawning, "For releasing
me I will grant you three wishes."

The old man thinks for a moment, and says, "I want Genghis Khan
resurrected.  I want him to re-unite his mongol hordes, march to the
Polish border, and then decide he doesn't want the place and march
back home."

"No sooner said than done!" thunders the genie.  "Your second wish?"

"Ok.  I want Genghis Khan resurrected.  I want him to re-unite his
mongol hordes, march to the Polish border, and then decide he doesn't
want the place and march back home."

"Hmmm.  Well, all right.  Your third wish?"

"I want Genghis Khan resurrected.  I want him to re-unite his ---"

"Okokok.  Right.  What's this business about Genghis Khan marching to
Poland and turning around again?"

The old man smiles.  "He has to pass through Russia six times."

© 1994 Peter Langston