A young cowboy from Montana goes off to college. Halfway through
the semester, he has foolishly squandered all his money.
Trying desperately to think of a way to get his father to send more
money, he remembers how much his dad loves his old hound dog, Ol' Blue.
He calls home. "Dad," he says, "You won't believe what modern education
is developing! They actually have a program here in Missoula that will
teach your dog, Ol' Blue, how to talk!"
"That's amazing," his Dad says. "How do I get Ol' Blue in that program?"
"Just send him down here with $1,000" the young cowboy says. "I'll get
him in the course."
So, his father sends the dog and $1,000.
About two-thirds of the way through the semester, the money again
runs out. The boy calls home.
"So how's Ol' Blue doing son?" his father asks.
"Awesome, Dad, he's talking up a storm," he says, "but you just
won't believe this - they've had such good results they have started
to teach the animals how to read!"
"Read!?" says his father, "No kidding! How do we get Blue into that
program?"
"Just send $2,500, I'll get him in the class."
The money promptly arrives. But our hero has a problem. It's the end of
the school year, and his father will find out the dog can neither
talk, nor read. So he shoots the dog.
When he arrives home at the end of the year, his father is
all excited. "Where's Ol' Blue? I just can't wait to see him
read something and talk!"
"Dad," the boy says, "I have some grim news. Yesterday morning,
just before we left to drive home, Ol' Blue was in the living room,
kicked back in the recliner, reading the Wall Street Journal, like he
usually does. Then he turned to me and asked, "So, is your daddy
still messing around with that little redhead who lives down the
street?"
The father exclaimed, "I hope you shot that sumbitch before he talks to
your Mother!"
"I sure did, Dad!"
"That's my boy!"
The kid went on to become a successful lawyer and then went into
politics.