A man walked into a circus and asked to speak with the ringmaster.
“I’d like to become a lion trainer,” he said confidently.
The ringmaster smiled and asked, “Do you have any experience working with wild animals?”
The man nodded proudly.
“My father spent many years working with lions.”
The ringmaster looked impressed.
“Really? Was he a famous lion trainer?”
The man chuckled.
“No.”
“Did he work at another circus?”
“No.”
Now even more curious, the ringmaster asked, “Then what did he do?”
The man grinned.
“He was the zookeeper who fed them every morning.”
The ringmaster laughed.
“Well, that’s certainly closer to lions than most people ever get.”
The man smiled.
“I figured that counts for something.”
“It does,” the ringmaster replied, “but watching someone feed lions isn’t quite the same as stepping into the cage yourself.”
The man nodded in agreement.
“I guess I’ll start with something a little less dangerous.”
The ringmaster pointed toward the other end of the circus.
“Perfect. The juggling lessons start in five minutes.”
The man smiled.
“That sounds like a much better way to keep all my fingers!”
