John the farmer was in the fertilized egg business. He managed several hundred young layers—known as pullets—along with eight or ten roosters responsible for fertilizing the eggs.
To keep track of productivity, John devised a clever tracking system: he attached small, uniquely toned bells to each rooster. Sitting on his porch, he could easily log efficiency reports just by listening to the chime of each bell as the roosters went about their duties. Any rooster that failed to perform was promptly replaced and sent to the soup pot.
John had a favorite, highly valued rooster, but one morning during routine checks, he noticed something strange: the favorite rooster’s bell hadn’t rung at all.
Investigating the matter, John found the other roosters noisily chasing pullets across the yard while the hens ran for cover. To his amazement, his prize rooster had taken a far more strategic approach—he held the clapper of his bell firmly in his beak so it couldn’t make a sound. Silently sneaking up on one pullet after another, he accomplished his job completely unnoticed.
Impressed by such cunning strategy, Farmer John entered him into the county fair, where the judges were so astounded they awarded him both the “No-Bell Piece Prize” and the “Pulletsurprise”.
What did Farmer John name his award-winning rooster? The Senator, of course. After all, who else but a seasoned politician could figure out how to claim the highest honors while quietly catching everyone off guard and taking advantage when no one was paying attention?
