The Golden Screw-A Modern Proverb


Once upon a time, a young lad was born without a belly button.  In its place was a golden screw.  All the doctors told his mother that there was nothing they could do.  The boy never understood why it was there, but like it or not, he was stuck with it.  All the years of growing up were real tough on him, because all who saw the screw made fun of him.  He avoided ever leaving his house and thus, never made any friends.

One day, a mysterious stranger saw his belly and told him of a swami in Tibet that could get rid of the screw for him.  He was thrilled.  The next day, he took all of his life's savings and bought a ticket to Nepal .

After several days of climbing up steep cliffs, he came upon a giant monastery.  The swami knew exactly why he had come.  He was told to sleep in the highest tower of the monastery and the following day when he awoke, the screw will have been removed.

The man immediately went to the room and fell asleep.  During the night while he slept, a purple haze floated in an open window, bearing in its mist, a golden screwdriver.  In just a few moments, the screw-driver removed the screw and then disappeared out of the window.

The next morning when the boy  awoke, he saw the golden screw laying on the pillow next to him. Reaching down, he felt his navel, and found that there was no screw there!  Jubilant, he leaped out of bed, and his butt fell off.

The moral to this is:
Don't screw around with things you don't understand -- you could lose your ass.