An old woman walked up and tied her old mule to the hitching post. As she stood there, brushing some of the dust from her face and clothes, a young gunslinger stepped out of the saloon with a gun in one hand and a bottle of whiskey in the other.
The young gunslinger looked at the old woman and laughed, âHey old woman, have you ever danced?â The old woman looked up at the gunslinger and said, âNo….I never did dance…never really wanted to.â A crowd had gathered as the gunslinger grinned and said âWell, you old bag, youâre gonna dance now,â and started shooting at the old womanâs feet. The old woman prospector – not wanting to get her toe blown off – started hopping around. Everybody was laughing.
When his last bullet had been fired, the young gunslinger, still laughing, holstered his gun and turned around to go back into the saloon. The old woman turned to her pack mule, pulled out a double-barreled shotgun, and cocked both hammers. The loud clicks carried clearly through the desert air, and the crowd stopped laughing immediately. The young gunslinger heard the sounds too, and he turned around very slowly. The silence was almost deafening.
The crowd watched as the young gunman stared at the old woman and the large gaping holes of those twin barrels. The barrels of the shotgun never wavered in the old womanâs hands, as she quietly said, âSon, have you ever kissed a muleâs rear?â The gunslinger swallowed hard and said, âNo mâam….but Iâve always wanted to.
There are five lessons here for all of us: 1 – Never be arrogant. 2 – Donât waster ammunition. 3 – Whiskey makes you think youâre smarter than you are. 4 – Always make sure you know who has the power. 5 – Donât mess with old women; they didnât get old by being stupid.
-Author Unknown