Sage Advice

OK, so Kōbō Daishi was wandering around Shikoku Island and came across a young Buddhist monk squatting by the edge of a raging stream. There were well placed stepping stones across the stream but, on the first stone there were two weasels, one big one and one little ittsy bittsy one, stretched out enjoying the sun.

So! Kōbō Daishi says to the young monk: "Wassup?"

The young monk replies: "Downer man, I wanna cross this here stream but these here two weasels sit smak in the middle of the first rock blockin' it. Can't cross lessen I move one and if I do I'll be upsetting the little guys and picking up some bad karma. So! So daddyoh, which one had I otta move?"

Kōbō Daishi thinks just for a second and says: Hey man, tain't no thang, just move the smaller one. Everybody know that when placed is such a difficult situation it is alway best to choose the lesser of two weasels.!"

Faber-Castell Pitt artist pen and watercolor wash on Bee's Bogus rough sketch paper. 9 by 18 inches.

One of the first rules of punning is, of course, never ever explain the pun. However… as this is a bit cross-cultural I'm make an exception to the rule: First, Kōbō Daishi was a Buddhist monk in the ninth century who is closely associated with the 88 temple pilgrimage on Shikoku Island Japan.

Second, a major principle of politics that, when necessary to make a choice twix two bad policies one need choose the lesser of two evils.

So! Sigh. Jokes and puns are funnier before one explains them! :-)