It's the French Revolution and three men have been brought to
the guillotine, the royal priest, the royal surgeon, and the
royal engineer.
First up is The priest, and when granted a final request
before execution, asks to die while looking upward to Lord In
Heaven. This wish is granted and they lie him on his back.
But, when the blade falls it stops just inches from his
throat.
The executioners and the crowd are amazed, and conclude that
not only had God saved the priest but had prevented them from
committing a terrible sin. So they let him go.
The surgeon, next in line, figuring he has nothing to lose,
professes his strong belief in God and makes the same request.
And, once again, the blade stops just short. They let him go
too.
All this while, the engineer has been watching the proceedings
carefully. He knows that the malfunction means he will not
die, and that if he makes the same request as the others he
might even be set free. Accordingly, they stretch him out on
his back and position his neck across the block. Then, as he
looks up at the apparatus above, he says "Oh. Now I see the
problem." |
