One morning, an elderly gentleman was walking through town when he noticed a sign in a shop window that caught his attention.
“SALESMAN WANTED – APPLY INSIDE.”
Now, the old man had been looking for work for quite some time, and with a wife and six children to support, he couldn’t afford to pass up an opportunity.
He straightened his jacket, took a deep breath, and stepped inside.
The shop owner looked up as the elderly man approached the counter.
“Good morning, sir. Can I help you?”
The old man smiled nervously.
“I-I-I w-w-want that j-joooob-b.”
The owner hesitated. He wasn’t quite sure how to respond.
“Well, sir, I appreciate your interest, but this is a sales position. You’ll need to speak with customers all day, and I’m not sure your speech difficulty would make that easy.”
The old man wasn’t about to give up.
“P-p-please, s-s-sir! I h-h-have a w-wi-wiiiife and s-s-s-six k-k-kkkids! I r-r-really n-n-need this j-j-job!”
The shop owner felt sorry for him and decided to give him a chance.
“Alright, let’s try something. Here are three Bibles. Take them around the neighborhood and see if you can sell them.”
The old man’s face lit up. He grabbed the books and hurried out the door.
Just one hour later, he was back.
The owner looked surprised.
“Back already? Any luck?”
The old man reached into his pocket, pulled out a handful of cash, and placed it on the counter.
“H-here-sss, your money M-M!”
The owner stared at the money in disbelief.
He’d sold all three Bibles!
“Remarkable!” he exclaimed. “Well done! Let’s see what you can do with a few more.”
This time, he handed the old man twelve Bibles.
Off he went again.
Two hours later, the shop door swung open.
There stood the elderly gentleman, smiling proudly, with another pile of cash in his hand.
“Her-ers y-yooour m-m-money.”
The owner nearly fell off his chair.
He couldn’t believe it. Fifteen Bibles sold in just three hours!
He shook his head in amazement.
“This is unbelievable! You’ve sold more Bibles in three hours than my best salesman sells in an entire week!”
Then curiosity got the better of him.
“Tell me something. What’s your secret? What exactly do you say when someone answers the door?”
The old man grinned, cleared his throat, and explained.
“W-well,” said the old man, “I r-r-ring the d-door bell, a-a-and s-s-say ‘H-Hel-Hello, M-m-maaaaddam, d-d-do you w-w- want t-t-t-to buy thi-thi-this B-B-Bible, oooor d-d-do y-you w-w-want m’me t-toooo read it t-t-t-t-to you?
