EEE Story

Barnabus 'Barny' Roy's world came crashing down at precisely 9:03 AM on a warm Saturday morning.

Barny was in good spirits that morning. It was an altogether pleasant morning in Herfordshire, the late spring Sun shining lazily down the main thoroughfare, a light breeze bringing in the sweet smell of daffodils from the fields. As was his routine, Barny tipped his hat to old Mr Weatherby, kept a crown on the counter, and took a copy of The Times. At precisely 9:03 AM, he looked at the newspaper.

The headlines screamed "HMS MANDRAKE LOST AT SEA!".

Barny couldn't believe his eyes. HMS Mandrake, a ship bringing exotic goods from the Orient, had been his ticket to a comfortable retirement. Urged by his friends, Barny had invested all his life savings on that ship. Now that dream was shattered, leaving Barny penniless and on the brink of bankruptcy.

Barny was dejected as he walked back home. His wife looked up as he came into the kitchen, her eyes picking up the despondency seen clearly on his face. With faltering words punctuated with sobs, Barny told her how he had lost all their savings.

After he finished, his wife stood up, went to her cupboard, took a box out and handed it to her husband. Puzzled, Barny opened the box ... and it was full of money! "Where did you get this?", he asked, to which she replied "Every day for twenty years, I stole 1 pound from your purse, no more, no less. I knew that it would come in handy some day. Now I'm giving it back to you". Barny was stumped, but when he realized that his wife's petty theft had saved him from bankruptcy, he embraced her with joy.

Moral of the story: B B Roy Of Great Britain had a Very Good Wife.