GRANDPA EXPLAINS “PERSUASION”
My Grandfather was always ready to explain things to us which we did not understand.
“What does “persuade” mean?”
“Hmmm....” He thought about the subject for all of ten seconds.
“Well, “persuade” sorta means getting someone to do something they should have done anyway only they needed a little push... a nudge, a little poke to get them started. Like a “reason why” they should get things moving.”
Now, for some that may be just like a cup of hot, freshly brewed coffee to sweep away the cobwebs and let the bright sunlight of a new day creep into life. Others, it takes something more than just a jolt to cause any reaction and there are persons who never get hit by anything more than a bite from a stray mosquito with nothing else to do.
It was the King of France, I'm almost sure, who, years ago got word that his bakers were short-bunning his peasants by counting out only eleven hunks of crust to the basket when a dozen had been requested. Now, when Ole Le Roy first heard this vile practice had become common among his dough-slingers, well, he just couldn't believe it.
“Just imagine that!” he scoffed in perfectly good French because the King of France did not speak English in those days. He said he'd fix them and he did issue one of his royal decrees... by callin' his secretary with her law-changin' pad.”
“Mon Cherry,” he said sternly ,”Write this little change in our Baking Laws and have the Minister of Public Welfare post a copy in every bake shop in ye realm 'fore 'he day's sun goeth down.” Kings were expected to get a bit carried away like that when they were composing or decomposin' laws in those days. The secretary, of course, wrote down that the Minister of PW was to get the new law posted before sundown of that same day. It was already 2:25 in the afternoon and that was before the days of copying machines, too!
The new law said: “All Bread Bakers! 12 = 12. When a dozen buns are ordered do not stop counting at eleven instead! Try that just one more time, and off comes your head!”
Things changed! From that day on bread buyers often found not eleven, not twelve but thirteen buns in their baskets. Bakers were, persuaded, you see to add one extra roll, just to be safe. They liked to go home a night and put their head on a pillow attached to a live neck! And – that's where we get the expression you hear today... “a baker's dozen!”
Granddaddy's explanations always had a point to them - after a while.
A.L.M. November 16, 2002 [c461wds]
