The Bronz Rat

A woman walks into a curiosity shop in Sydney. Looking around at the exotica, she notices a very life-like, life-sized bronze statue of a rat. It has no price tag, but is so striking she decides she must have it. She takes it to the owner: "How much for the bronze rat?"

"Twenty five dollars for the rat, and two hundred dollars for the story," says the owner.

The woman gives the shop-owner twenty five dollars. I'll just take the rat, you can keep the story."

As she walks down the street carrying this bronze rat, she notices that a few real rats have crawled out of alleys and sewers, and begun following her down the street. This is a bit disconcerting, so she begins walking a little faster.

Within a couple blocks, the group of rats behind her grows to over a hundred, and they begin squealing. She starts to trot toward the Harbour. She takes a nervous look around and sees that the rats now number in the thousands, maybe millions and they are all squealing and coming toward her faster and faster.

Terrified, she runs to the waters edge and throws the bronze rat as far out into Sydney Harbour as she can. Amazingly, the millions of rats all jump into the Harbour after it, and are all drowned.

The woman walks back to the curiosity shop. "Ah ha," says the owner, "I'll bet you have come back for the story?"

"No," said the woman, "I came back to see if you have a bronze Liberal."