During the French revolution an Englishman, a Scotsman and an Irishman are sentenced, by the revolutionaries, to death by the guillotine.
The Englishman is offered a blindfold and the opportunity to lay face down or face up. He boldly rejects the blindfold and says “I’ll meet my maker like a true Brit you Froggy…… (expletive deleted!!)”. He lays face up on the bench and sneers at the crowd. The executioner pulls the release cord and the blade descends at an alarming rate only to stop abruptly within millimetres of his neck! The crowd roars with disappointment and, as tradition states, if the condemned is not executed on the first fall of the blade, he must be freed. The prisoner is released to boos and shouts from the disappointed ghouls.
The Scotsman is next, like his predecessor he declines the blindfold, cursing his captors, he lays face up to watch the damnable machine send him to his death. Again the executioner yanks on the cord, the blade comes rushing down to sever his head, only to cease its deadly decent just a fraction from his neck! Again the crowd scream with renewed intensity having been, yet again, deprived of the blood and gore spectacle.
Finally the Irishman is led to the execution scaffold. Like his fellow condemned he declines the blindfold and takes his place facing the suspended blade.
The executioner seizes the release cord……he lifts it high and is about to give it a hefty tug…….. when the Irishman raises his hand…….. pointing to the top of the guillotine and says “Joost a minnit.... oi can see de trouble!”
My sincere apologies to our English, Scottish and Irish members, no offence meant, honest! CL