Today's silly joke

Once upon a time…

In a faraway land the King found his dominion under threat from a rebel group seeking to overthrow him. Calling for his spymaster, the King gave instruction to find the ringleaders and bring them to his justice. By the skill of the spymaster the rebels were soon infiltrated and the King's own cousin, the Count, was implicated.

The Count was taken to the dungeons and given to the torturer for the extraction of the truth. Under questioning the Count refused to yield so, with a nod from the King, the torturer began to cut off the Count's toes. "Tell us names and places" said the King. "Never" screamed the Count. The torturer began to cut off his fingers. "I will never tell" cried the Count. Then his feet were sawn off. Then his hands. Still the Count was resolute.

Now, the King was a kind and benevolent person, and he viewed the Count with new honour. For withstanding such agony and still refusing to confess, the King thought to end the Count's misery by granting his death. The executioner was summoned.

It was not a good day for the executioner. He had not expected any business today and his axe was with the smith, for a service (normal things: sharpening, balance check and a good polish). However he did have his trusty hatchet, with which many had been dispatched to oblivion. At a sign from the King the hatchet fell, but at that instant the Count's resolve broke. He cried out "Hold, I will tell all". Too late, the executioner's blow was swift and it was out for the Count, so to speak.

The moral of this story is below the belt.

Don't hatchet your Counts before they’ve chickened.