FARMER JOE AND HIS MULE

FARMER JOE DECIDED HIS INJURIES FROM HIS RECENT

ACCIDENT WERE SERIOUS ENOUGH TO TAKE THE

TRUCKING COMPANY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ACCIDENT

TO COURT. IN COURT, THE TRUCKING COMPANY'S FANCY

LAWYER WAS QUESTIONING FARMER JOE. 

"DIDN'T YOU SAY, AT THE SCENE OF THE ACCIDENT,

THAT YOU WERE FINE?" 

''WELL, I'LL TELL YOU WHAT HAPPENED.

I HAD JUST LOADED MY FAVORITE MULE BESSIE INTO THE--" 

''I DIDN'T ASK FOR ANY DETAILS,'' THE LAWYER INTERRUPTED.

''JUST ANSWER THE QUESTION. DID YOU NOT SAY,

AT THE SCENE OF THE ACCIDENT, THAT YOU WERE FINE?" 

''WELL I HAD JUST GOT BESSIE INTO THE TRAILER

AND WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD--'' 

''JUDGE, I AM TRYING TO ESTABLISH THE FACT THAT,

AT THE SCENE OF THE ACCIDENT,

THIS MAN TOLD THE HIGHWAY PATROLMAN ON THE

SCENE THAT HE WAS JUST FINE.

NOW SEVERAL WEEKS AFTER THE ACCIDENT HE

IS TRYING TO SUE MY CLIENT.

I BELIEVE HE IS A FRAUD.

PLEASE TELL HIM TO SIMPLY ANSWER THE QUESTION.''

BY THIS TIME THE JUDGE WAS FAIRLY INTERESTED IN

FARMER JOE'S ANSWER AND TOLD THE LAWYER SO. 

''WELL," SAID THE FARMER, "AS I WAS SAYING,

I HAD JUST LOADED BESSIE, MY FAVORITE MULE,

INTO THE TRAILER AND WAS DRIVING HER DOWN THE

HIGHWAY WHEN THIS HUGE SEMI-TRUCK AND

TRAILER RAN THE STOP SIGN AND SMACKED MY

TRUCK RIGHT IN THE SIDE.

I WAS THROWN INTO ONE DITCH AND BESSIE WAS

THROWN INTO THE OTHER.

I WAS HURTING REAL BAD AND DIDN'T WANT TO MOVE.

HOWEVER, I COULD HEAR OL' BESSIE MOANING AND GROANING.

I KNEW SHE WAS IN TERRIBLE SHAPE JUST BY HER GROANS.

SHORTLY AFTER THE ACCIDENT A HIGHWAY PATROLMAN

CAME ON THE SCENE. HE COULD HEAR BESSIE MOANING AND

GROANING SO HE WENT OVER TO HER.

AFTER HE LOOKED AT HER HE TOOK OUT HIS GUN AND

SHOT HER BETWEEN THE EYES.

THEN THE PATROLMAN CAME ACROSS THE ROAD WITH

HIS GUN IN HIS HAND AND LOOKED AT ME.

HE SAID, 'YOUR MULE WAS IN SUCH BAD SHAPE I HAD

TO SHOOT HER.

HOW ARE YOU FEELING?'"