A Little Levity Goes a Long Way
The captain of a ship, standing on the deck with a telescope, spotted a pirate ship approaching. “First Mate,” he said, “bring me my red shirt.” The captain put the red shirt on and led his ship to a victory over the pirates.
The next morning, the captain spotted two pirate ships on the horizon. “First Mate, bring my red shirt again, please.” Upon the pirate ships’ arrival, the red-shirt-clad captain again defeated the pirates in a tougher battle this time. Later that day, the first mate approached the captain. “Captain, I have to ask…Is there something special about the red shirt?”
“Not at all,” the captain replied. “You see, First Mate, I am the leader of this ship. These men must not see me wounded. I wear the red shirt so that, in case I am bloodied during a battle, the men will not become disheartened.” The first mate was inspired.
The next morning, the captain peered over the horizon and was surprised to see a dozen pirate ships approaching.
“First Mate,” he said. “Bring me my brown pants.”
