Farmer and his son
Once at the break of dawn, a farmer nudged his son awake for assistance on the farm. Stirring the youngster at the hour of 4, he exclaimed, “Rise and shine, son.” Groaning, the young man responded, “Gosh, Dad, it’s awfully early.” Met with a stern rebuke for his grumbling, the son offered his regrets and complied. Father and son later found themselves cruising to inspect their fields when they stumbled upon a patch stripped of its harvest. The father, in dismay, flung his hat to the ground. With a chuckle, the son quipped, “Gee, Dad, it’s not the end of the world.” The father, now seething, issued a final admonition regarding the boy’s choice of words.
Their work continued through the morning, and when midday rolled around, they set off for home. En route, their truck met with an unfortunate patch of mud and became lodged in place. Contemplating their next move, the father directed, “Off with you and give it a shove, if you think you’re so grown with all that sass.” The son dutifully stepped out to push while his father accelerated. Despite fervent commands to exert more effort, the son slipped and took a muddy plunge. Rising with ire, he burst out, “This is actual nonsense!” The farmer, exiting the truck, declared, “I’ve had enough of the swearing, boy—I gave you fair warning!” The son, however, stated, “No, truly, Dad—I mean this is actual manure!”