Don't Judge A Book By It's Cover
For anyone who didn't see David
Letterman's take on this: (And it's a true story...)
On a recent weekend in Atlantic City, a woman won a bucketful of quarters at a
slot machine. She took a break from the slots to have dinner with her husband in
the hotel dining room, but first she wanted to stash the quarters in her room.
"I'll be right back and we'll go to eat," she told her husband and carried the
coin-laden bucket to the elevator.
As she was about to walk into the elevator, she noticed two men already aboard.
Both were black. One of them was big, very big... an intimidating figure.
The woman froze. Her first thought was: These two are going to rob me. Her
next thought was: Don't be a bigot, they look like perfectly nice gentlemen, but
fear immobilized her. She stood and stared at the two men. She hoped they
wouldn't guess what she was thinking, but her hesitation about joining them in
the elevator was all too obvious now.
She couldn't just stand there, so with a mighty effort of will she stepped
forward into the elevator. Avoiding eye contact, she turned around stiffly
and faced the elevator doors as they closed.
A second passed, and then another, and then another. Her fear increased! The
elevator didn't move. Panic consumed her.
She thought, I'm trapped and about to be robbed! Her greatest fear was
realized when one of the men said, "Hit the floor."
Instinct told her to do what they said......The bucket of quarters flew upwards
as she threw out her arms and collapsed on the elevator floor, as a shower of
coins rained down on her.
A few seconds passed, and she prayed to herself: Take my money and spare
me. More time passed. Finally, one of the men said politely, "Ma'am,
if you'll just tell us what floor you're going to, we'll push the button. "The
one who spoke was trying very hard not to laugh.
The woman lifted her head and looked up at the two men, and they reached down to
help her up. Confused, she struggled to her feet.
"When I told my friend here to hit the floor," the shorter one explained, "I
meant that he should hit the elevator button for our floor. I didn't mean you,
ma'am."
It was obvious the men were very amused by the woman's scene. She thought: What
a spectacle I've made of myself. She wanted to blurt out an apology, but was too
humiliated to speak. She was also feeling a little faint.
The men helped her to gather up the fallen quarters, and insisted on walking her
to her room. At her door they bid her a good evening, and as she slipped into
her room she heard them burst into laughter as they walked back to the elevator.
The woman composed herself and went to dinner with her husband, hoping to put
the incident behind her.
The next morning, one dozen roses were delivered to her room. Attached to EACH
rose was a crisp one
hundred dollar bill. The card said: "Thanks for the best laugh we've had in
years."
It was signed,
Eddie Murphy
Michael Jordan